The spinal cord is the largest nerve in the human body and allows messages---such as when to move your legs---to be passed between the brain and various parts of the body. The top portion of your spine is called the cervical spine and consists of...
A cervical (neck) pinched nerve can be the result of a sports injury, an auto accident, a household fall or the aging process. It can result in the loss of mobility, strength and flexibility, and it can leave you fatigued and in pain. Therapeutic...
Cervical disc injury can occur from a trauma, such as a motor vehicle accident or simply from changes due to aging. According to the Mayfield Clinic, in most cases, the pain from a herniated disc will get better within a couple days and completely...
The cervical spine is the region of the vertebral column that supports the neck. Its name comes from the Latin word for neck, which is cervix. Dr. Peter F. Ullrich Jr. explains that eight nerves emerge from between the vertebrae of the neck,...
Patients with chronic neck pain may find relief from uncomfortable symptoms after treatment with a cervical epidural steroid injection. During this treatment, a doctor injects a corticosteroid medication directly into the epidural space in the...
In the original Latin, "cervix" means "neck." C4 is a term used to refer to the fourth cervical nerve, meaning the nerve that emerges from the spinal cord between the third and fourth vertebrae of the neck. The C4 nerve is part of the cervical...
Impingement on the nerves in the neck can cause pain and numbness in your arms and hands. The close relationship of structures in the cervical area and the potential for debilitating nerve injury requires extra care be taken when exercising your...
Cervical radiculopathy involves the compression of a cervical spinal nerve that results in symptoms that radiate from the cervical spine to other areas of the upper body. Common causes of radiculopathy include spondylosis, or wear and tear...
Because of complex interactions between the spinal column and the nervous system, disk injuries may cause arm and hand pain. The spinal column is composed of 33 bones known as vertebrae. Each vertebra is stacked on top of the other and divided...
The cervical spine consists of seven vertebrae, the lower five of which are separated by five intervertebral discs. Intervertebral discs act as cushions and shock absorbers, but can wear out and degenerate over time. This process, called cervical...
In order to categorize the spinal nerves, anatomists divide the vertebral column into four distinct areas, referred to as the cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacral regions of the spine. Dr. Ralph Rashburn of Spine-Health states that 31 pairs of...
Your spinal column is composed of 24 vertebrae: seven cervical vertebrae, 12 thoracic vertebrae and five lumbar vertebrae, according to health professionals at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS). The...
Cervical spinal stenosis is the narrowing of the canals that the spinal cord and the spinal nerves run through. Spinal stenosis is usually caused by arthritis, a herniated disk or spinal tumors, according to the Mayo Clinic. Narrowing of the...
Pinched nerves occur when a bone, muscle, tendon or cartilage presses on a nerve root, the portion of the nerve that exits from the spinal column. A pinched nerve in the neck, called cervical radiculopathy, may cause pain, weakness, numbness or...
The spine consists of seven cervical vertebrae (neck), 12 thoracic vertebrae (upper back), five lumbar vertebrae (lower back) and the sacral region. Nerves from the spinal column consist of eight cervical, 12 thoracic, five lumbar and five sacral....
An anterior cervical fusion of your neck is a major surgical procedure and requires many weeks to recover fully. People that opt for this surgery often do so because they have weakness and pain in their arms due to cervical nerve irritation or...
Spinal stenosis occurs when a blockage decreases the diameter of the central tunnel that descends through the bones of the spinal column. The narrowed canal can compress the nerves that comprise the spinal cord, which passes through the spinal...
Cervical stenosis occurs when either the cervical spinal canal becomes narrowed, termed "central stenosis", or when lateral nerve foremen become narrow, termed "lateral stenosis". Both cause neck pain, although the spinal cord is injured with...
The face is built upon the skull that consists of the cranial and facial bones. On top of these bones are layers of facial muscles, which work to produce the variety of facial expressions. For muscles to move, specialized cells called nerves carry...
The cervical disc is the cushioning material that lies in between each vertebral body, allowing for space and shock absorption. When the disc protrudes or bulges beyond its normal boundaries, it is called a herniated or prolapsed disc. When a...
Cervical radiculopathy refers to an abnormality affecting the nerves exiting the spinal cord at the level of the neck. Most commonly, this is irritation or pinching of the nerve by a herniated disc or bone spur. Pressure from the bulging disc or...
The neck--the cervical region of the spine--is a very delicate part of the body. Many muscles, nerves, tendons and ligaments run through this region and are prone to injury. The Cleveland Clinic says overuse and sudden blows to the cervical region...
Head numbness, or skin numbness medically described as head paresthesia, is experienced as a disturbing lack of sensation in the head or portions of the head and face. This numbness results from a variety of causes, some traumatic and others due...
The cervical spine is the portion of the spinal column that makes up the neck. According to the University of Southern California (USC) Center for Spinal Surgery, cervical spine fractures are fairly common and, together with cervical spine...
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...
If you are experiencing a condition known as cervical radiculopathy, or neck pain with pain radiating down the arm, consult with your physician or physical therapist regarding an exercise program that might rectify your problem. According to...
Doctors see many patients that request a cure from the common headache. While headaches may come from many causes, one cause is not from the head. A pinched nerve can interrupt the flow of blood to your brain and create a headache. The...
According to "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine," herniation or protrusion of a cervical disk commonly causes pain in the neck, shoulder, arm or hand. C-3, C-4, and C-5 designate the third, fourth and fifth cervical disks, counting from...
Nerve stretch injury, commonly called a burner or stinger, is compression or traction of the upper trunk of the brachial plexus or fifth and sixth cervical nerve roots. The most common population to receive this type of injury is people involved...
Pinched nerves usually occur in the neck, but can lead to pain and muscle spasms throughout the upper back and arm. Learn how to treat a pinched nerve in the neck and stay fit in this sports medicine video.
