BULGING DISC NECK

February 25, 2021 Nicholas Lancaster

Bulging Disc Neck

A Bulging Disc Can Be a Real Pain in the Neck

A bulging disc in the neck can be a real source of pain and discomfort. Symptoms of pain and discomfort can be felt locally in the neck, along the site of the disc bulge. These symptoms occur when a bulging disc irritates a nerve in the spinal canal around the site where the disc is bulging.

How Is It Possible That a Bulging Disc in the Neck Causes Symptoms to Be Felt in a Finger?

A bulging disc in the neck can also send symptoms of pain, numbness, tingling, muscle weakness, muscle spasms, and discomfort throughout virtually anywhere in the upper body. The reason for this lies in the way the nervous system is structured. Nerve endings extend far into our extremities, such as those in our fingertips and toes. The nerve endings in the fingertips can be traced back through the fingers, hands, arms, shoulders, and all the way into the neck (also known as the cervical spine) where the nerve takes root in the upper spinal cord. When a bulging disc in the neck protrudes into the spinal cord or a cervical nerve root, symptoms of pain, numbness, tingling, muscle weakness, spasms, or discomfort may be sent along and transmitted anywhere along the path of the nerve, including the fingertips.

Should You Pursue Surgery to Relieve Your Bulging Disc Symptoms?

Surgery for a bulging disc is almost always an elective procedure, and it is usually reserved as a last-resort option available to less than ten percent of people who experience bulging disc symptoms. There are other conservative, nonsurgical treatment methods such as exercise, physical therapy, and pain and anti-inflammatory medication that can be helpful in reducing the symptoms felt from a bulging disc in the neck. Before performing any of these methods on your own, see your doctor for a proper diagnosis and to find out the best conservative treatments available to you.

A Bulging Disc in the Back Can Lead to a Number of Symptoms

Sometimes a bulging disc in the back will cause no symptoms at all. Other times tremendous pain and discomfort can be felt locally where the disc is bulging, and pain, numbness, tingling, muscle weakness, muscle spasms, and discomfort can be felt virtually anywhere in the body. When no symptoms are felt, the bulging disc is protruding beyond its regular boundaries, but it is not pressing on the spinal cord or a nerve root. However, when a disc bulges into and irritates the spinal cord or a nerve root, symptoms can be sent along the path of the nerve and felt all the way to the nerve endings. Pain and discomfort also may be felt locally at the site where the bulging disc in the back irritates nerve tissue in the spinal column.

What Happens When a Disc Bulges?

A disc can bulge as a result of a traumatic injury, aging, or poor spinal health. When an intervertebral disc bulges, it protrudes outward beyond its usual parameters set forth by the vertebrae above and below it. Think of it as a hamburger where the meat is too big for the bun and some of the meat extends beyond the width of the bun. Discs may bulge when a part of the disc’s outer wall is damaged and becomes weak. When this occurs, the jelly-like fluid inside the disc moves toward the weak area of the disc wall, causing the disc to bulge outward.

What to Do About a Bulging Disc in the Back

If you are experiencing unexplained symptoms of pain, numbness, tingling, muscle weakness, spasms, or discomfort, visit your doctor and tell him or her about your symptoms. There’s a chance a bulging disc in your back is the culprit behind your pain and weakness. Your doctor will be able to give you a proper diagnosis and explain viable treatment options to you.

Things to Think About When Considering Bulging Disc Surgery

There’s no way to discreetly determine if you are a candidate for spine surgery without first consulting with a doctor or surgeon. Surgical treatment for degenerative spinal conditions, including bulging disc surgery, is usually reserved for the five to ten percent of people who have chronic, debilitating symptoms that do not get better after several weeks or months of nonsurgical treatment. However, if you experience symptoms from a bulging disc in your neck or back and have tried conservative treatments for some time and seen no improvement, consult with your doctor and receive multiple medical opinions to see if surgery is right for you.

Open Back Surgery vs. Endoscopic Laser Back Surgery

There are two main approaches to bulging disc surgery – one is called open back or open spine surgery, and the other is called endoscopic spine surgery. Open back surgery is the older form of the two. During open back surgery, a large incision is cut into the back, neck, side, or abdomen, which allows the spine to be exposed. Surgeons then enter the area of spinal degeneration and perform a number of surgical techniques to remove any disc matter that is bulging. Often during open spine surgery, bone is also removed to decompress the spinal column, and the affected vertebrae are fused together using bone grafts, rods, screws, and other hardware. Open back surgeries usually require a hospital stay and use general anesthesia to sedate the patient during the procedure.

Endoscopic laser surgeries are the newer of the two types of bulging disc surgery, but they have actually been performed for decades now. In these procedures, surgeons cut a small incision – usually about one centimeter in length – into the back and they insert a small scope that is connected to a TV monitor. This helps surgeons to see into the back and pinpoint the exact source of the symptoms. Lasers and other surgical tools are used to vaporize and remove parts of a bulging disc. Only IV sedation and local anesthesia are required during the procedure, and patients are back on their feet within about an hour.

Are There Risks Involved in Bulging Disc Surgery?

Just like any other surgery, there are risks associated with spine surgery. The risks that come with spine surgery are far more commonly seen in open back surgery than in endoscopic surgery. In open back surgery, there is usually a long recovery period and, according to success rates, a greater chance that the surgery will not cure the pain, numbness, tingling, muscle weakness, spasms, or other symptoms felt from a bulging disc. Anesthetic allergic reactions, infection, spinal fluid leaks, nerve damage, and paralysis are also risks associated with open back surgeries. Because of the local anesthesia, minimally invasive incision, and precise surgical technique with a scope, however, endoscopic surgeries do not have nearly as much risk associated with them, and the success rates of endoscopic spinal procedures are significantly higher.

At AOMSI diagnostics, we provide the most accurate spinal imaging available in the healthcare marketplace. This imaging has been proven in peer-reviewed medical journals to be the most accurate, reliable, and specific spinal imaging when compared to traditional spinal imaging modalities. Often times we are able to expedite pre-authorizations for surgery or even overturn denials for spinal surgery after the VMA study is presented to insurance.