A protruding cervical disc is another term for a bulging or a herniated cervical disc, and can be a very frustrating condition to deal with. Not only can it be very painful, it can also interfere with a person's ability to perform their normal daily activities.
This article will discuss what a protruding cervical disc is, the most common symptoms associated with it, causes, and three tips you can use at home for relief.
In order to understand what a disc protrusion is, we first must discuss the normal anatomy of a spinal disc. The discs of the spine are located in between each set of bones in the back, and their primary purpose is to act as a shock absorber between the bones.
Each disc has a firm outer covering, and a jelly in the center, and both parts of the disc are very important for different reasons. The outer covering gives the disc strength, and the jelly center is where the disc stores oxygen and nutrition in order for the disc to be healthy.
In the case of a protruding cervical disc, the outer covering of whatever disc is affected becomes weak and tears. Because of this, the jelly in the center starts to shift into the weak area, which creates a bulge in the disc.
What's interesting about the spinal discs is that they are designed to not feel pain sensation. This may sound kind of odd if you're living with this condition, because you know that this can be incredibly painful, but think about it - because the disc's primary purpose is to absorb shock, if the disc could cause pain, you would experience pain with every movement!
So, why is this condition so painful? Well, when a disc bulges, it tends to bulge at the back, where nerves exit the spine. The bulging of the disc tends to apply pressure to these nerves, which can be very painful.
Not only that, these nerves control everything in the body, so it's also very common for a person to experience other symptoms related to the affected nerves.
For example - in the case of a protruding cervical disc, it's very common for a person to experience symptoms such as neck pain, headaches, shoulder pain, arm pain, hand pain, arm weakness, chest pain, thyroid problems, etc.
All of these symptoms can occur simply because the nerves in the neck control all of these areas of the body.
So, now that we've established what a protruding cervical disc is, let's discuss its causes, and then we'll talk about some helpful things you can do from home for relief.
The most common cause of a protruding cervical disc is trauma - some type of injury, such as a car accident, a slip and fall, lifting something too heavy, etc.
However, it's also common for the discs of the spine to deteriorate over time due to small traumas that add up over time. This gradual deterioration will eventually lead to a bulging disc after a period of time, and because the disc does not experience pain sensations, you don't feel it until the problem has become so bad that it is affecting the nerve.
There is also a genetic component to this condition (where you could be born with weaker spinal discs), as well as a relationship to toxins. For example, people who smoke, drink excessive alcohol, have an unhealthy diet, etc. tend to be more likely to develop disc conditions.
Now, allow me to give you three simple things you can do from home for relief. These tips are not only easy and effective, they are very inexpensive.
The first recommendation I would make is that you use ice for relief. This is actually the fastest way to experience relief, and is very effective if you follow the steps I'll outline for you in a minute.
But first, let's discuss why you would want to use ice for relief. Remember when I explained previously that the cause of the pain was the pressure on the nerve? Well, when you are experiencing pain, your body is actually going through a process called inflammation.
The area will swell up, and the body will rush a lot of blood to the aggravated nerve in order to heal it. Well, blood is hot, so the area is going to become hot. If this is the case, do you really want to put something hot on top of it? Of course not - ice is a much better option because it will numb the nerve (which provides relief), and slow the swelling which provides faster relief.
In order for ice to be effective, follow these steps: use real ice (no frozen vegetables), and place the ice directly on the skin (do not place a towel or clothing under the ice). Leave the ice on for 15 minutes maximum, or until you experience numbness in the area - whichever comes first. Finally, repeat the ice treatment every hour, as often as you can.
If you are consistent with this, you will experience relief within 3 days typically. In the case of a protruding cervical disc, you would use the ice on the neck, as well as wherever you are experiencing pain.
The second thing I would recommend you do is to check your sleeping position. You want to only be using 1 pillow under your neck while you sleep, because more than 1 pillow will force the head to flex forward which places a lot of extra pressure on the discs in the neck.
Also, be sure to sleep on your back or on your sides - never on your stomach. When you sleep on your stomach, you are forced to turn your head during the night in order to breathe, which is also a difficult position for the discs.
My final tip for this article is that you use a gel called biofreeze. This is a pain-relieving gel that you can find online, and it will typically provide 4 - 5 hours of relief. I recommend that you apply the biofreeze about a half hour before bed, and throughout the day if you aren't able to use ice during the day.
Biofreeze has an herbal remedy in it called ilex, which reduces inflammation of the nerves and causes muscles to relax. The end result is relief. However, it's important that I let you know that it's very strong, so start with a thin layer of the gel over the area you're treating, and if you feel you can tolerate more, and then apply more.
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