The degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine usually involves the most mobile segment that is the C5-C6 followed by C6-C7 and C4-C5 disc levels. The degeneration causes decreased water content of the disc or desiccation which leads to tears in the outer ring or the annulus fibrosus.
From the lateral cord, C5, C6, and C7 supply the pectoralis major and minor muscles, via the lateral and medial pectoral nerves, as well as the coracobrachialis, brachialis and biceps brachii, via the musculocutaneous nerve. The musculocutaneous nerve provides sensation to the skin of the lateral forearm.
Your treatment options for cervical disc degeneration
Targeted exercises through physical therapy. Weight loss. Anti-inflammatory medications or injections. Heat and cold therapies.
Cervical nerve 6 controls the extensor muscles of your wrist and is involved in the control of your biceps. C6 provides sensation to the thumb side of your forearm and hand. Cervical nerve 7 controls your triceps and wrist extensor muscles. C7 provides sensation to the back of your arm into your middle finger.
The most common symptoms of degenerative disk disease are neck pain and back pain. You may experience pain that: Comes and goes, lasting for weeks or months at a time. Leads to numbness or tingling in your arms or legs.
In this way, it does not matter if cervical disc herniation is central or foraminal in nature, it will compress the same nerve root. If the patient has numbness of the middle finger, the C7 nerve is always affected. If the first two fingers, the thumb and index fingers, are affected, then C6 is the culprit.
People with degenerative disk disease need to avoid foods that promote inflammation and physical activities involving heavy lifting and twisting. Additionally, a person should avoid smoking, if applicable, slouching, and consuming more than moderate amounts of alcohol.
While there is no way to totally correct degenerative disc disease, for the vast majority of people suffering low back pain, sciatica, neck pain, or arm pain and tingling due to this condition, they can successfully manage their pain and regain their lives – while avoiding surgery.
They can range from nagging pain to disabling pain. Pain can affect the low back, buttocks and thighs or the neck, depending on where the affected disc is, radiating to the arms and hands. Numbness and tingling in the extremities.
Symptoms of c5-c6 disc herniation can include numbness, tingling, burning, weakness, problems with vision, and more.
An injury to the spinal cord at the C5-C6 level may cause pain, weakness, or paralysis in the arms and/or legs. There may be loss of bowel and bladder control or breathing problems in some cases. Nonsurgical treatments are often tried first for pain that stems from C5-C6. In rare cases, surgery may be considered.
Physical therapy: Participating in strengthening and stretching exercises with a trained healthcare provider. Medications: Taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), muscle relaxers or steroids. Steroid injections: Injecting medicine near your spinal nerves, disk or joints to reduce inflammation and pain.
The C5 C6 vertebrae are known as load-bearing vertebrae as they have to support the weight of the spine and head above. In addition, these vertebrae also play an important role in facilitating the neck's range of motion, such as turning the head side to side and looking up and down.
The degenerative process of the cervical spine classifies into three distinct stages: (1) dysfunction, (2) instability, and (3) stabilization. Dysfunction occurs between the ages of 15 to 45 years old.
he main reason to perform more tests is if the symptoms are getting worse despite treatment, if the pain is severe or if you have signs of nerve damage — particularly nerve damage that is getting worse. The signs of worsening nerve damage would be increasing tingling or numbness, weakness and sometimes increasing pain.
In order to be eligible for Social Security Disability, your disc disease has had to progress into a severe form that has impacted the vertebrae so it causes chronic pain and impacts your ability to stand or sit for significant periods of time, which can be made evident through medical imaging.
The wear happens with age, but can also be the result of a traumatic injury or overuse. Degenerative disc disease typically causes pain, which can be severe. The discomfort can be worsened by lifting, twisting, bending, or simply standing up or sitting down.
avoiding anything that causes physical pain, especially in the back, as this is a sign that the exercise is irritating the affected disk. avoiding high impact exercises — which include jumping on a trampoline, jumping rope, step aerobics, and sprinting — immediately after sustaining a disk injury.
Stage 4 is considered severe DDD because it is challenging or impossible to reverse in many cases. It may still be possible to treat the condition and improve your quality of life though. Typically, treatment will involve some physical activity and exercises to reduce pain levels.
If a disc has degenerated or slipped to a large extent, or if the surrounding vertebrae and joints can no longer support that part of the spine, doctors may recommend spinal fusion with discectomy. This combination tends to be required on the neck more often than on the lower back.
Surgeons should bear in mind the possibility of disorders of caudal C6–7 when they encounter patients with no or few symptoms in their hands and with leg weakness or numbness.
When a C6-C7 herniated disc occurs and the C6-C7 nerve root is irritated, the symptoms usually include neck pain and pain in the arms, weakness in the hands and weakness in the arms, shoulder pain, chest pains, uncontrollable sweating, headaches, and possibly more.
C6-C7 (C7 nerve root): Pain, tingling, and/or numbness may radiate into the hand and middle finger. Weakness may also be felt in the triceps (muscles in the back of the upper arm), finger extensors, and other muscles. The C6-C7 disc is commonly considered the most likely to herniate in the cervical spine.