The word "cervix" comes from the Latin term for neck. The cervical spine is a continuous chain of vertebrae that extends from the bottom of the skull to the shoulders, where it becomes the thoracic spine. The cervical spine can be subject to...
Cervical radiculopathy is the radiation of neck pain to certain parts of the upper body. Certain conditions, such as a herniated disk, spinal stenosis or osteoarthritis, can compress a spinal nerve as it exits the spinal column. Medline Plus, of...
A number of cervical spine conditions may warrant surgery, including spinal stenosis, herniated discs or a spinal fracture. In general, surgery is only indicated as a last resort, if conservative treatments have failed to relieve a person's...
Cervical spine surgery focuses on the part of the spine that passes through the neck. It can treat existing damage to the spinal cord and the nerves around it, as well as strengthen the spine to help prevent further damage. Often, the surgery...
Pain and numbness in areas like the arms and shoulders can signal damage to the cervical spine, which runs through the neck. Damaged spinal discs can bulge out of their proper places in the cervical spine, touching nerve roots nearby and...
Cervical spine surgery can effectively treat damage to the part of the spinal cord that runs through the neck. But while cervical spine surgery may relieve nerve pressure and strengthen and align the spinal cord, it may also result in a host of...
Surgery on the cervical spine is a delicate procedure. Usually such surgery is needed to relieve pain associated with a prolapsed or herniated disc. Disc disease causes it to fail and this makes the disc protrude and push on spinal nerves. The...
Neck injuries can cause damage to the part of the spine that runs through the neck---the cervical spine---by pushing spinal discs out of place. If the discs bulge out far enough to touch the nearby nerve roots, patients can experience pain and...
An article in the August 2009 issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery states that you are likely to notice a significant improvement in your cervical neck symptoms after surgery. Therefore, your decision to choose surgery as a treatment...
The cervical spine or neck bones consist of seven cervical vertebrae with eight pairs of cervical nerves. These nerves control the neck, arms and upper body. Cervical vertebrae are subject to trauma, degenerative disease, and fractures. When...
When the part of the spine that runs through the neck--called the cervical spine--becomes damaged, patients can experience pain, tingling and numbness in their arms, shoulders and hands, which are connected to nerve roots in the cervical spine....
Degenerative cervical disc disease, also known as spondylosis often results in disc herniation. Herniation can cause compression on spinal roots and the spinal cord, resulting in pain and other symptoms. When discectomy surgery is required, part...
You may choose cervical spine surgery to help with your back pain, numbness, tingling, weakness, to restore nerve function or prevent abnormal movement in your cervical spine. People with degenerative disorders are good candidates for cervical...
Patients with early stage cervical cancer may have a procedure called a conization, which removes a cone-shaped piece of tissue from the cervix. Patients receive local anesthesia for this surgery. An advantage of conization includes the ability...
The cervical spine consists of seven vertebrae, called C1 though C7. Cervical degenerative disc disease usually occurs as a part of aging, although inherited tendencies, smoking, arthritis, injury or poor posture may contribute. Discs, which...
Your cervical spine includes the seven vertebrae that connect your head to your spine and extend down to your shoulders. Cervical spine fusion surgery may be recommended when the disc material begins to seep out of your cervical vertebrae and...
Spinal stenosis is described as narrowing of the spine, often causing impingement on the spinal cord, which causes symptoms. These include pain in the anatomical area affected, motor difficulties and sensory abnormalities. It is classified based...
Cervical spinal fusion is a surgery that is designed to help stabilize your neck and correct any problems with the bones that make up your upper spine. With the surgery, two bones that originally operated independently of one another are fastened...
The primary danger with chiropractic neck manipulations is stroke. The likelihood of this happening is very slim, but it's a serious enough effect that it deserves consideration. If you suffer chronic or acute neck pain, chiropractic cervical...
The cervical spine is made up of seven vertebrae and the discs that serve as the cushion between them. Though the cervical spine naturally enables a wide range of motion, sometimes, surgery is needed to limit that motion in certain segments....
Spasms are involuntary sudden movements of muscles that are usually short-lived and harmless. Occasionally, they can be long in duration, resulting in an excruciating burst of pain, and can lead to tearing of muscle tissue and dislocation of...
The cervical spine consists of seven vertebrae, labeled C1-C7, which form the upper part of the spine in the neck. As people age, the discs between the vertebrae that cushion them and help them move more easily, degenerate. Herniated discs, also...
Infection is the number one cause of cervicitis. Infections can be caused by sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) as well as non-sexually transmitted infections. The STDs that cause cervicitis fall into two categories--bacterial and viral....
Neck surgery may be necessary if a patient experienced trauma or has another serious medical problem, such as severe osteoarthritis, narrow blood vessels or thyroid problems. Neck surgery is concerning because there are many delicate structures in...
Your chronic neck and arm pain may make you one of more than 60 percent of Americans with degenerative disc disease, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC). This spinal degeneration in the cervical, or neck, area may be...
Discs are the shock absorbers of the spine. Sandwiched between each vertebrae, they act as cushions. Healthy discs are composed of tough cartilage exteriors with a soft squishy interior, but as they age, discs can deform by flattening, stiffening,...
The nerves that control the neck, arms and upper body are located in the cervical spine. There are seven cervical vertebrae that make up the spine and include eight pairs of spinal nerves. When a disc protrudes and places pressure on a spinal...
A baby born before 37 weeks of pregnancy is considered premature. According to 2010 information supplied by the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford, approximately 12 percent of all babies in the United States are born prematurely. The...
Cervical fusion is the joining of two or more vertebrae in the neck through bone grafts or hardware. It decreases mobility of damaged joints and stabilizes them, preventing further collapse. Often performed in conjunction with removal of a damaged...
