
Cervical Disc Herniation
Cervical Disc Herniation happens when some of the central material, or nucleus, of the disc pushes through its containing ring, or annulus. This nucleus material irritates nerves chemically and by direct pressure.
Most people with cervical disc herniations have pain in the shoulder that often radiates down the arm sometimes as far as the hand. Numbness and weakness may also be present. Most individuals with cervical disc herniation will have some neck pain, but shoulder, arm and hand pain are the dominant symptoms.
Disc herniations are diagnosed based on the location of the symptoms and confirmed with imaging studies, usually an MRI or CT myelogram.

Treatment
Treatment for cervical disc herniations varies widely. Most often, treatment proceeds from less risk to more risk.
Exercise, physical therapy and chiropractic treatments can all provide relief of symptoms. Exercise should include low impact cardiovascular methods such as cycling or swimming for at least 30 minutes 3 to 5 days each week. Stretching is also beneficial as are formal programs like yoga. For most neck problems, rowing and shrugging exercise is also beneficial.
While narcotic pain medications are often given for disc herniation symptoms, rarely do these medicines provide more than short term relief of symptoms, and most of these medications are highly addictive in nature. Instead, anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen or naproxen can provide more long-term relief without the potential for addiction.
For patients with a progressive loss of function, or for those who are in so much pain that waiting for a few months would not be possible, surgery may alleviate their symptoms more rapidly. Surgery carries some risk, but most
complications are rare. The biggest advantage of surgery is that most patients experience quicker relief of their nerve pain symptoms.
PATIENT REVIEWS
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The BEST hands down! I’ve been working with Dr. Weston & Dr. Stephens for the past two years. Their staff is thorough as well as friendly and genuinely caring. I began with pain management for my neck and lower back […]RaNee Jones2 months ago
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The Staff, Assistants, Techs, Nurses and Doctors are some of the best, kindest and caring anywhere I have been. It’s true that they are very busy, work long, hard hours and have to deal with some pretty rude people. These […]R Stinson3 months ago
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My wife and I recently met with Dr. Stevens’s PA, Dawn to discuss the issue with my lower back. After my X-Rays were evaluated, I had several questions and she spent a considerable amount of time answering each one, explaining […]James Wright8 months ago
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I am a long time cyclist. Last fall I started the LOTOJA 206 mile one day race. I had trained well and was ready. Unfortunately my right leg was going numb at about 60 miles. I was able get to […]Gary Barney8 months ago
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I needed help with my cervical neck pain and gave Mountain Pain and Spine a call. I was recently diagnosed with cervical degenerative disc disease which has caused me severe neck pain and radiating arm pain. I was referred to […]Dave Greer9 months ago
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Prior to my appointment I read a ton of reviews for Dr. Stevens and was surprised at all the people who expected to meet with a surgeon and gain a friend. He didn’t hug me when I walked in. He […]Matt Entwistlea year ago
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After 3 prior spine surgeries I found myself needing a new spine surgeon for #4. It’s hard to trust your health and back to a new provider. As a nurse, myself, i look for expert skill and a caring bedside […]Mindy Devaneya month ago
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Dr. Stevens fixed me up. After having surgery somewhere else I was in bad shape. I had a herniated disk with nerve impingement and was losing the strength and feeling in my leg and had to go into surgery in […]Jamesa year ago
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I brought my mom in a few months ago to see josh the pa . I appreciated that he was very caring and compassionate . He took the time to discuss the options. He wanted to get to the root […]Lucy Barnetta year ago
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I needed help with my cervical neck pain and gave Mountain Pain and Spine a call. I was recently diagnosed with cervical degenerative disc disease which has caused me severe neck pain and radiating arm pain. I was referred to […]Amie Greer8 months ago
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