Understanding Your Cervical Spine

Your neck needs to be strong to hold up your head, which may weigh 10 pounds or more. But injury, poor posture, wear and tear, and diseases such as arthritis can damage the structures of your cervical spine. Or you may have a family tendency to develop disk problems. Pain and weakness in your neck and arms may result.

A Healthy Cervical Spine

The upper spine is a flexible column made up of the cervical vertebrae. These seven bones are separated by spongy, shock-absorbing disks. The spinal cord runs through a large central opening (spinal canal) formed by the vertebrae. Nerves branching from the spinal cord travel to your arms and other parts of your body through small openings (foramina) between the vertebrae. As you grow older, it's normal for your disks to wear out and harden. As a result, your neck may not be as flexible as it once was.

Your Problem Spine

One of the most common cervical spine problems is a damaged disk. A disk may be injured and bulge outward (herniation). The bulge may press on a nerve. Or it may wear out gradually (degeneration). A worn-out disk may become so flat that the vertebrae above and below it slip back and forth or almost touch. As disks wear out, abnormal bone growths (bone spurs) can form on the vertebrae and in the foramina, causing narrowing (stenosis).

With a herniated disk, the annulus tears or the nucleus pushes through the annulus. The herniated portion of the disk may press on a nearby nerve. This may cause neck or arm pain, or weakness in the arm.

In degenerative disk disease, the disks flatten over time. The surrounding vertebrae begin to touch, and the nerves may be pinched. Bone spurs may also form, further irritating the nerves.

In stenosis, bone spurs grow into the foramina and spinal canal, narrowing the openings. The nerves and spinal cord may be compressed, resulting in pain, weakness, numbness, and loss of coordination.

Arm pain and weakness may be caused by pressure on the nerves traveling from the cervical spine down the arm.

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