The cervical spine is the portion of the spinal column connecting the base of the skull to the upper back. Between each of the seven cervical vertebrae (C1 through C7), a cervical disk acts as a shock absorber. A disk injury can result in the disk losing the cushioning effect, causing pressure on the cervical nerves. Each of the cervical nerves affect different points on the body.
Arm Pain
Pain is often the first symptom of a cervical compressed disk. This may occur suddenly as the result of an accident, or it may be gradual as the progression of a degenerative disc disease. As the compression worsens, the pain can radiate down the arm. Nervous-System-Diseases.com reports if more than one disk is herniated, both arms may be affected at the same time.
Neck and Shoulder Pain
When the cervical compressed disk is located at the C5 level, the symptoms may include sharp or radiating pain throughout the shoulder area. The neck may be painful at rest with increased pain on movement.
Weakness
Weakness is a symptom of a cervical compressed disk. The area affected is determined by the nerve that is compressed. C5 nerve root compression may cause deltoid muscle weakness. The biceps and wrist extensor muscles may be affected by the C6 nerve root. Weakness in the triceps and finger extensor muscles may be the result of C7 nerve root compression. A weak handgrip may be caused by C8 compression.
Numbness and Tingling
Numbness and tingling are symptoms of cervical disk compression. The nerves from each level affect a different part of the body. Spine-Health.com reports that compression on C5 may cause shoulder numbness. C6 compression affects the thumb. C7 compression may result in numbness to the middle finger. The outside of the hand may become numb when compression is on C8.
Headaches
Although headaches are associated with a wide range of diseases, there are specific areas of pain that develop as a result of a cervical compressed disk. The symptoms include areas such as in the occipital, or back region, of the head, behind the eyes or in the temple area. Sudden movement or jerking tends to worsen the pain.
Other Symptoms
All of the nerves from the spinal column pass through the cervical region to communicate from the brain to the various parts of the body. NeurosurgeryToday.org reports that cervical disk compression can put enough restriction on the nerve pathways to cause symptoms such as instability while walking, poor coordination and muscle spasms in the lower extremities.
