Cervical disc problems can be very serious for the person suffering with them.
Not only can these conditions lead to severe pain and disability, they are also very frustrating because they are very slow to heal.
This article will discuss what a cervical disc is, the most common conditions that can develop with one, the causes of these conditions, as well as the most common symptoms and treatments recommended.
Let's begin with a discussion of what a cervical disc is.
The discs of the spine are cushions that separate each set of bones in the back.
The main purpose of these discs is to absorb shock when you move.
Without them, the shock would be absorbed by the bones of the spine, which would be very painful.
Each disc is composed of two parts - a strong outer covering called the annulus, and a soft jelly center called the nucleus.
The jelly in the center is very important because this is where the discs of the spine store oxygen and nutrients for proper health, as well as healing any problems that develop with the disc.
This fact becomes very significant when you consider that the discs of the spine do not have a very good blood supply.
Your body normally depends on the blood to bring oxygen and nutrition for proper health, but because the spinal discs don't have this normal blood flow, the nucleus is absolutely vital.
The most common problems that can develop with a cervical disc are a bulging or herniated disc, and degenerative disc disease (which is a form of arthritis).
In the case of a bulging disc, the strong outer covering tears, and the jelly in the center of the disc begins to shift into the weak area.
This creates a "bulge" in the disc.
What's interesting about this condition is that the pain from it actually comes from the nerves of the spine, which are located directly behind each disc (which is where the discs tend to bulge).
Believe it or not, the discs of the spine are actually designed to not feel pain.
This makes sense when you consider that the main function is shock absorption.
If they could feel pain, you would be hurting every time you move! The spinal nerves are very sensitive, so any amount of pressure from a bulging disc will cause pain.
Also, because these nerves control everything in the body, it's also common for other symptoms to develop, which you may not associate with the spine.
I'll be giving you some examples of these symptoms in a moment, but let's first talk about degenerative disc disease.
Degenerative Disc Disease occurs when the jelly in the center of the disc starts to dehydrate (it loses its water, and essentially starts to dry up).
When this occurs, the disc starts to become shorter.
This will also cause the space where the nerves exit the spine to become smaller, and once again, you have pressure on the nerves.
In both of these cases, the symptoms can be very similar because of the nerves involved.
In the case of a cervical disc, the most common symptoms you may experience are neck pain, pain in the shoulders, arms, or hands (you may also experience burning, pins and needles, or numbness in these areas), headaches, chest pain, thyroid problems (which could lead to weight problems), blurry vision, and ringing in the ears.
Although one may have never associated these areas of the body with the neck, these symptoms commonly occur because these areas of the body are controlled by the nerves of the cervical spine.
The causes of these conditions are very different.
A bulging disc or a herniated disc usually occurs due to an injury (such as a car accident, lifting something too heavy, a fall, etc.
).
It's also possible for a person to be born with a genetic predisposition for weaker spinal discs, which would lead to the problem.
The cause of degenerative disc disease is wear-and-tear over time.
However, the beginning of this condition is also often trauma, because injuries to the spine that are not treated properly will cause the spine to deteriorate more quickly.
I want to stress that this condition is not age related!Most people associate arthritis with age, which simply isn't the truth.
Arthritis is usually localized to joints that have been used too much (such as the hands, knees, shoulders, and spine).
If you look at degenerative disc disease of a cervical disc, you will see that it is usually only located in 1 or 2 discs - not every one of them.
So, I ask you this - if degenerative disc disease (arthritis) were simply due to age, wouldn't you see it in EVERY disc of the spine?After all, they're all the same age, aren't they? The reason I bring this up is because people often use their age to "give up" on trying to experience relief - they just accept it.
There are plenty of treatment options for this condition, and we'll discuss that next.
With either of these conditions, most doctors will recommend the same treatments - medications (usually pain relievers and muscle relaxers), injections (such as cortisone and epidurals), physical therapy, and surgery (as a last resort).
Unfortunately, the success rates of these traditional treatments are usually very low.
However, there are a number of other alternative treatments that are more effective for cervical disc conditions.
Alternative treatments such as chiropractic, massage therapy, acupuncture, and nutritional supplementation are among the best options for these problems.
After working with thousands of patients with these conditions, I can tell you that the best results are usually achieved with a very specific combination of these treatments.
If you would like to learn more about how you can utilize the most effective treatment options in a way that provides the highest success rate with a cervical disc condition, you can learn more at http://www.
HealYourBulgingDisc.
com.
Not only can these conditions lead to severe pain and disability, they are also very frustrating because they are very slow to heal.
This article will discuss what a cervical disc is, the most common conditions that can develop with one, the causes of these conditions, as well as the most common symptoms and treatments recommended.
Let's begin with a discussion of what a cervical disc is.
The discs of the spine are cushions that separate each set of bones in the back.
The main purpose of these discs is to absorb shock when you move.
Without them, the shock would be absorbed by the bones of the spine, which would be very painful.
Each disc is composed of two parts - a strong outer covering called the annulus, and a soft jelly center called the nucleus.
The jelly in the center is very important because this is where the discs of the spine store oxygen and nutrients for proper health, as well as healing any problems that develop with the disc.
This fact becomes very significant when you consider that the discs of the spine do not have a very good blood supply.
Your body normally depends on the blood to bring oxygen and nutrition for proper health, but because the spinal discs don't have this normal blood flow, the nucleus is absolutely vital.
The most common problems that can develop with a cervical disc are a bulging or herniated disc, and degenerative disc disease (which is a form of arthritis).
In the case of a bulging disc, the strong outer covering tears, and the jelly in the center of the disc begins to shift into the weak area.
This creates a "bulge" in the disc.
What's interesting about this condition is that the pain from it actually comes from the nerves of the spine, which are located directly behind each disc (which is where the discs tend to bulge).
Believe it or not, the discs of the spine are actually designed to not feel pain.
This makes sense when you consider that the main function is shock absorption.
If they could feel pain, you would be hurting every time you move! The spinal nerves are very sensitive, so any amount of pressure from a bulging disc will cause pain.
Also, because these nerves control everything in the body, it's also common for other symptoms to develop, which you may not associate with the spine.
I'll be giving you some examples of these symptoms in a moment, but let's first talk about degenerative disc disease.
Degenerative Disc Disease occurs when the jelly in the center of the disc starts to dehydrate (it loses its water, and essentially starts to dry up).
When this occurs, the disc starts to become shorter.
This will also cause the space where the nerves exit the spine to become smaller, and once again, you have pressure on the nerves.
In both of these cases, the symptoms can be very similar because of the nerves involved.
In the case of a cervical disc, the most common symptoms you may experience are neck pain, pain in the shoulders, arms, or hands (you may also experience burning, pins and needles, or numbness in these areas), headaches, chest pain, thyroid problems (which could lead to weight problems), blurry vision, and ringing in the ears.
Although one may have never associated these areas of the body with the neck, these symptoms commonly occur because these areas of the body are controlled by the nerves of the cervical spine.
The causes of these conditions are very different.
A bulging disc or a herniated disc usually occurs due to an injury (such as a car accident, lifting something too heavy, a fall, etc.
).
It's also possible for a person to be born with a genetic predisposition for weaker spinal discs, which would lead to the problem.
The cause of degenerative disc disease is wear-and-tear over time.
However, the beginning of this condition is also often trauma, because injuries to the spine that are not treated properly will cause the spine to deteriorate more quickly.
I want to stress that this condition is not age related!Most people associate arthritis with age, which simply isn't the truth.
Arthritis is usually localized to joints that have been used too much (such as the hands, knees, shoulders, and spine).
If you look at degenerative disc disease of a cervical disc, you will see that it is usually only located in 1 or 2 discs - not every one of them.
So, I ask you this - if degenerative disc disease (arthritis) were simply due to age, wouldn't you see it in EVERY disc of the spine?After all, they're all the same age, aren't they? The reason I bring this up is because people often use their age to "give up" on trying to experience relief - they just accept it.
There are plenty of treatment options for this condition, and we'll discuss that next.
With either of these conditions, most doctors will recommend the same treatments - medications (usually pain relievers and muscle relaxers), injections (such as cortisone and epidurals), physical therapy, and surgery (as a last resort).
Unfortunately, the success rates of these traditional treatments are usually very low.
However, there are a number of other alternative treatments that are more effective for cervical disc conditions.
Alternative treatments such as chiropractic, massage therapy, acupuncture, and nutritional supplementation are among the best options for these problems.
After working with thousands of patients with these conditions, I can tell you that the best results are usually achieved with a very specific combination of these treatments.
If you would like to learn more about how you can utilize the most effective treatment options in a way that provides the highest success rate with a cervical disc condition, you can learn more at http://www.
HealYourBulgingDisc.
com.
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