Twenty-six vertebrae make up the structure of the spine. Discs filled with a soft jelly-like matter fill the space between the vertebral bones. The purpose of the disc material is to cushion the bones and help keep them aligned. If the disc slips from the normal alignment, it is referred to as a herniated disc. The bones in the neck are the cervical vertebrae. When the cervical disc herniates, the disc places pressure on the nerve at that section of the spinal canal. Symptoms of a herniated cervical disc depend on the affected nerve and the location of the herniation. Common symptoms include pain, muscular weakness, numbness and tingling of the arms and hands.
Muscular Weakness
The herniated cervical disc may cause muscle weakness in the arms or hands. Muscle spasms may also occur. Cervical disc herniation at the C4-C5 level may cause muscular weakness in the shoulder. The C5-C6 level causes weakness in the muscles in the front part of the upper arm and the wrist. Herniation at the C6-C7 level causes weakness in the muscles located in the back of the upper arm and in the fingers. The C7-T1 level tends to create weakness in the hand grip for individuals.
Numbness and Tingling
Numbness and a pins-and-needles feeling, called tingling, occurs in the hands and arms of a person with a herniated cervical spine. The location for the numbness and tingling vary depending on the cervical level injury. The C4-C5 level generally does not cause any numbness or tingling. The C5-C6 level may cause the sensation may radiated down the arm along the thumb side. Herniations at the C6-C7 level may cause numbness down the back of the arm and into the middle finger of the hand. At the C7-T1 causes the numbness and tingling to radiate down the little finger side of the arm and into the hand.
Pain
The pain begins in the neck and radiates through the shoulders to the arms and hands. The herniated disc may affect one or both arms. Other times, the herniated disc may cause headaches in the backside of the head. The pain ranges from a burning sensation to a sharp pain. According to the Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch, moving the head towards the unaffected side of the body or tilting it forward may help relieve the pain. The pain location for each cervical spine level corresponds with the location for numbness and tingling.
