Neck and arm pain is the usual symptom of a slipped disc in the neck. This condition is also known as Cervical Disc Prolapse. This condition is often seen in individual age thirty to fifty years old and is quite rare outside this age group. Also slipped disc is more common in the lower back than in the cervical spine.
If we look at the cervical spine closely you will observed that between each vertebra is an intervertebral disc. There are exactly seven vertebras in the neck which is often referred to as C1 to C7. The level that is commonly affected with slipped disc in the neck is between the C5 and C6 as well as C6 and C7.
The disc comprise of an outer layer which is a hard one and encloses a soft gel-like material. Repeated stress in the neck can result to a degeneration of the outer layer of the disc. If the damage is severe in the outer layer then the soft material in the inner layer can bulge out of the disc. The material that bulges out may press on its surrounding nerve root which can cause pain in one of your arms. This condition is referred to as herniated disc and this often result to pain in the shoulder and down in your arms.
Slipped Disc in Neck Symptoms
Usual symptoms of slipped disc in the neck are severe pain in the shoulder which spreads down to the arm and pain can be felt too in the neck. Pain can be aggravated by movements in the neck or even by sneezing and coughing. Pain may be too severe that it affects your sleep. Also muscle spasm is also common in the neck.
There are also cases where there is no pain felt in the neck but the symptoms are mostly felt in the arm or the opposites that is in the neck only. Aside from pain one may experience muscle weakness in the upper limb.
If patient’s history shows severe neck pain that spreads to the arm then diagnosis of slipped disc in the neck can be confirmed although further test may be necessary in some cases. MRI scan may be requested to confirm diagnosis of slipped disc in neck.
Treatment for slipped disc in the neck consists of conservative treatments. There are several conservative treatments that you can choose from. A combination of these treatments might work best for you. Conservative treatment includes rest and taking of pain relieving medicine. Anti-inflammatory medication is quite effective in managing the pain. A neck collar can be very helpful in early stages if your neck is injured. It can support the neck and prevent movement in the neck for it to give time to heal. A neck pain pillow is also good in correcting the neck alignment.
Physiotherapy treatment which includes the use of heat packs is quite effective as well as massage to relieve neck pain. Manual manipulation is also good to help bring back the normal neck movement.
Another device which is very effective in slipped disc in neck is the traction. Traction can be done manually by physiotherapy or you can do it at home if you have a home traction kits. If not you can always visit clinic where they have traction machine.
As the pain is manage and resolve then you can go back to your normal activities at a slow pace and you should try to perform exercise to restore normal function of the neck. However it is important that you consult your doctor before you perform any exercise. Your doctor should supervise any exercise you have to perform until you know you can do it right on your own.
If symptoms do not respond to any of the conservative treatment then it might be necessary to consult a spine specialist or orthopedic consultant. Surgery might be needed if pain is not manage and is progressing.