Cervical Disc Herniation / Cervical Radiculopathy

What is a cervical disc herniation? What is cervical radiculopathy?

The easiest way to understand cervical (referring to the neck) disc herniations is to see the spine as consisting of the bones, called the vertebrae, and the discs, which are the soft jelly-like parts of the spine. The discs are actually similar to jelly donuts, with a hard fibrous outside and a soft jelly-like inside (called the nucleus pulosis). A cervical disc herniation occurs when some of the jelly inside the donut escapes outside of the donut. When that jelly pushes out towards the spinal canal, it can put pressure on one of the nerves and cause a constellation of symptoms including pain, numbness/tingling, or weakness in the arm and hand, which we call “cervical radiculopathy” or a pinched nerve in the neck. Sometimes there can be pressure on the spinal cord and cause a different problem called cervical myelopathy 

What are the symptoms of a pinched nerve in the neck?

• Neck pain
• Pain between the shoulder blades or around the shoulder
• Pain, numbness, tingling in the shoulder, arm or the hand
• Weakness in the shoulder, arm, or hand

What causes cervical radiculopathy?

• In younger patients, disc herniations can put pressure on the nerve
• In older patients, age-related degeneration (called spondylosis) can result in bone spurs or narrowing of nerve tunnels and similarly cause a pinched nerve
• Some patients have congenital (born with) stenosis (narrowing), and have a small spinal canal which predisposes them to become symptomatic

What are the treatment options for cervical radiculopathy / cervical disc herniations?

Dr. Wesley Bronson believes that many patients with a pinched nerve in the neck can be treated non-operatively, and generally guides treatment with a combination of: 

• Physical therapy
• Pain medications (NSAIDS, steroids, etc)
• Epidural Injections
• Chiropracty
• Acupuncture

Surgery is generally reserved for patients who have not improved with non-operative treatment or those with significant neurologic symptoms. This will depend on patient symptoms as well as Dr. Bronson's physical exam and evaluation of imaging.

What type of neck surgery does dr. Wesley bronson perform to address a pinched nerve in the neck?

Dr. Bronson is an expert in several different minimally invasive spine surgery procedures to manage cervical disc herniations and cervical radiculopathy that depend on multiple factors, and each patient is different. These neck surgery options can include:

• Cervical Disc Replacement / Cervical Disc Arthroplasty
• Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF)
• Cervical foraminotomy

What does recovery generally look like after surgery?

• Patients often go home the same day of surgery or stay overnight and go home in the morning
• A soft collar can be worn for comfort for 1 and 2 level surgery
• Recovery is generally between 2-6 weeks and patients can return to most types of work a few weeks after surgery