You probably take your neck bones (called cervical vertebrae) for granted; however they have an important function. Besides supporting your head, which weighs around 9 to 12 pounds, they also allow you to swivel your head a full 180 degrees. This can take quite a toll on your cervical vertebrae, the seven most delicate bones in your spine and neck.
Knowing this, it makes sense that your neck may have issues from time to time. One of the most major conditions including your neck bones is a bulging disk.
Them Bones
If you’ve ever looked carefully at the neck bones of a turkey or chicken, you’ve no doubt seen how all these small vertebral bones connect to make the spine. Muscles, ligaments, and tendons link each vertebrae to the next. Vertebrae are ring-shaped, giving your spine a hollow canal that encases and safeguards the many nerve fibers that form your spine.
You have 24 total vertebrae, and the uppermost seven are in your neck. The leading part of your spine is the cervical spine. Below it is the thoracic spine, and below the thoracic spine is the back spine. These three sections of your spine, together with the sacrum and coccyx (tailbone) below the lumbar region, form your spine.
What Is a Bulging Disk?
In between each vertebrae is a gel-filled disk that serves as a shock absorber and helps the spine relocation. A broken disk might bulge, pushing backwards into the back canal. The disk typically bulges towards one side of the canal (either right or left), which is why people with a bulging disk are likely to have pain and tingling on simply one side of the body.
A bulging disk in your neck may be reasonably pain-free. Alternatively, it can cause severe pain in your neck, along with your shoulders, chest, and arms. It may likewise cause tingling or weakness in your arms or fingers. Often, this pain and feeling numb may even cause you to think that you have a heart attack.
Some people incorrectly utilize the terms bulging disk and herniated disk interchangeably. A herniated disk is a ruptured disk. Bulging disks can ultimately become herniated disks.
Causes of Bulging Disks in a Neck
Spinal disks take in a lot of wear and tear. With time, they begin to deteriorate and deteriorate. Degenerative disk disease is the most common reason for bulging disks, frequently leading to back osteoarthritis. Other factors that can cause or contribute to bulging disks include:
- pressure or injury
- obesity
- cigarette smoking
- poor posture
- lack of exercise
How Are Bulging Disks Diagnosed?
If you have pain that might be from a bulging or herniated disk, your physician will give you a physical examination. You’re also likely to have several imaging tests. These include spinal X-rays, computed tomography scans (CAT scan or CT scan), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Your medical professional may suggest an electromyogram (EMG) to check the condition of afflicted nerves.
Treatment Options for Bulging Disks
Thankfully, there are several methods to treat a bulging disk in your neck.
- Conservative treatment is also called nonoperative management. It includes rest and medications and is frequently enough to recover a bulging cervical disk.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen are the first-line prescription medications for a bulging disk. For more extreme pain, your doctor may prescribe a muscle relaxer or narcotic pain reliever.
- Physical treatment (PT) may eliminate pressure on the nerve.
- At-home traction devices can reduce pressure on the nerve.
- Cortisone injections (called epidural steroid injections, or ESI) into the spine can offer longer-term relief.
- Various surgical procedures treat cervical herniation. Nevertheless, only about 10 percent of individuals with bulging disks eventually need surgery.
Depending of severity of your bulging disk specialists recommend different types of treatment for your back and neck.
What is the Right Treatment for You?
Early stage bulging disk treatment includes rest, anti-inflammatory medications, and ice and heat treatment. If this is ineffective then exercises to help enhance your back will be contributed to your treatment, in addition to physical therapy. Only as soon as conservative treatments have been exhausted should surgery be thought about.
The genuine concern is: What treatment is best to treat your bulging disk? Use our Treatment Match tool to begin in finding the right cure for you rapidly.
Endoscopic Discectomy
A minimal incision is utilized to enable cosmetic surgeons access to the affected area. The disk material is removed securely through a pain-free laser treatment or a very small grasper/biter. The strategy is basic and bloodless under our expert hands. Only very light sedation or anesthesia is made use of in conjunction with lidocaine and marcaine as local anesthetics. Patients are comfortable throughout the treatment and can go home the same day. They can usually go back to regular activity in a couple of weeks.
Percutaneous Discectomy
Percutaneous discectomy is the most minimally intrusive strategy possible utilized to treat disk bulges, protrusions surgically, and small consisted of herniated disks. There is no blood loss throughout the procedure and can be performed in an outpatient environment with many patients returning to work within a week.
Axial Fusion
This is a new and exciting tool to fix a worn disk. With a little covert cut near the tailbone, an unpleasant worn disk can be changed and fused. This is fairly basic and generally bloodless treatment that can repair your back. It uses fast healing, less pain, and minimal noticeable scars for a full combination.
Endoscopic Foraminotomy
An endoscopic foraminotomy is carried out to eliminate particles from a stopped up foramen. By getting rid of the particles, a compressed nerve is launched, and unpleasant symptoms are alleviated. An endoscopic foraminotomy is performed as an outpatient treatment with the client being motivated to walk following the procedure. Healing time is very little, and most people are back to work within the week.
Cervical Disk Replacement
Cervical disk replacement is an incredible new technology carried out to replace a harmed, herniated, or uncomfortable disk while keeping movement in the spine. Instead of performing a conventional spine blend, an artificial disk is placed to replace the old broken disk. The new disk moves and is designed not to decrease any motion, an issue typical in back fusion procedures. A cervical disk replacement surgery is performed in an outpatient setting with little to no blood loss. After the surgery, there is no need for a neck brace and patients are even encouraged to move their neck right away following the treatment.
Microdiscectomy
A microdiscectomy is a minimally intrusive back surgery to eliminate any disk product that is continuing a nerve root or spinal cord. The cut necessary in a microdiscectomy is a little larger than that of an endoscopic discectomy, but smaller sized than standard open back discectomy. A microdiscectomy can be carried out as an outpatient procedure, with many patients being discharged on the very same day of the procedure. It is very rare that a client may be required to stay overnight stay in the medical facility.
TLIF (Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion).
When the spine’s disks wear our, there is frequently associated pain and collapse of that disk triggering nerves to end up being pinched. Pain from pinched nerves or arthritis to the disk can be severe and disabling. This is a problem that can be fixed with a new method. It is minimally intrusive, and we have assembled among the leading teams in the nation for simply this treatment.
I had a bulging disc. I went to the doctor, he prescribed the medicine for me and told me not to get too tense. I took medicine and rested a lot. Its end!