The part of the spine that runs through the neck, known as the cervical spine, can become injured in a variety of ways that can damage the spinal cord itself or the nerve roots and vertebrae connected to it. If a person suffers injury to his cervical spine, he may notice symptoms such as pain, numbness, and tingling in areas such as the arms and shoulders that are connected to nerves from the neck.
Cervical Herniated Disc
This type of cervical spine injury happens when the soft spinal discs bulge or rupture out of the spinal canal and put pressure on nearby nerve roots or the spinal cord. The culprit is usually some type of sudden force, such as whiplash from a car accident, according to Spine-Health.com. In fact, the Mayo Clinic states that vehicle accidents are the leading cause of spinal cord injuries, making up more than 40 percent of new spinal cord injuries every year. About 25 percent of spinal cord injuries each year result from falls. The next most common cause of spinal cord injuries is violent acts (usually involving gunshots or knife wounds), which account for about 15 percent each year.
Cervical Disc Degeneration
Over time, wear and tear on the cervical spine can injure it and cause the discs in the cervical spine to degenerate. The degeneration process can be exacerbated by a fall or twisting injury to the neck. Underlying conditions that can cause the cervical spine to degenerate include arthritis, cancer, infections, or inflammation, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Stenosis
Cervical stenosis is a progressive condition that injures the spinal cord slowly over time by pinching it. The process is usually triggered by aging that changes the joints in a way that tightens the spinal canal. Cervical foraminal stenosis injures the cervical spine by gradually narrowing the cervical disc space, Spine-Health.com states, and is caused by a joint enlargement in the spinal canal. The Mayo Clinic explains that regardless of whether a particular cervical spine injury was caused by trauma or disease, it affects the nerves passing through the injured area. Cervical spine injuries may cause not just nerve pain, but also weakness in affected parts of the body (such as the arms) and sometimes even affect a patient's ability to breathe.
