The discs of the spine are located between the vertebrae (bony building blocks of the spine). The disc is designed somewhat like a jelly donut being composed of an inner gelatin-like core (the nucleus pulposus) surrounded by a firm outer ring (the annulus fibrosus).
When the disc structure wears, because of processes such as aging or trauma, it becomes weakened and susceptible to injury. In this condition, stresses on the spine can cause the inner core to protrude outward through the boundary of the disc's outer ring. The is referred to as herniation of the disc.
As a disc degenerates, the soft inner gel in the disc can leak back into the spinal canal. This is known as disc herniation, or herniated disc. Once inside the spinal canal, the herniated disc material then puts pressure on the nerve, causing pain to radiate down the nerve leading to sciatica or leg pain (from a lumbar herniated disc) or arm pain (from a cervical herniated disc)..
Arm pain from a cervical herniated disc is one of the more common cervical spine conditions treated by spine specialists. It usually develops in the 30 - 50 year old age group. Although a cervical herniated disc may originate from some sort of trauma or injury to the cervical spine, the symptoms, including arm pain, commonly start spontaneously. The arm pain from a cervical herniated disc results because the herniated disc material “pinches” or presses on a cervical nerve, causing pain to radiate along the nerve pathway down the arm. Along with the arm pain, numbness and tingling can be present down the arm and into the fingertips. Muscle weakness may also be present due to a cervical herniated disc.
With treatment, most people recover. It can take a long time. Treatments include rest, pain and anti-inflammatory medicines, physical therapy and sometimes surgery. Losing weight can help, too.
There are many different terms used to describe spinal disc pathology and associated pain, such as “herniated disc”, “pinched nerve”, and “bulging disc”, and all are used differently by doctors
Unfortunately, there is no agreement in the health care field as to the precise definition of any of these terms, and patients are often frustrated when they hear their diagnosis referred to in different terms by health care practitioners. A variety of additional terms such as ruptured disc, torn disc (or disc tear), slipped disc, collapsed disc, disc protrusion, disc disease, and black disc often add to a patient's confusion
To gain a clear understanding of the precise medical diagnosis, in other words, to gain an understanding of the actual cause of the upper or lower back pain, leg pain, neck pain or other symptoms.The spine care professional arrives at a clinical diagnosis of the cause of the patient’s pain through a combination of a review of the patient’s medical history, a complete physical exam, and, if appropriate, the results of one or more diagnostic tests.
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