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How herniated discs in your neck can change your life!

A full force collision such as a Philadelphia car accident or a Bensalem, PA truck accident can result in a neck trauma called a herniated disc also known as a cervical herniated disc. Pain radiating down from the neck can cause headaches, discomfort in the shoulders, arms and hands. A herniated neck disc is a condition that occurs when one of the soft intervertebral discs in the neck are crushed and break open extruding disc material into the spinal cord area. The herniated disc material can cause pressure to the nerve roots resulting in pain, numbness, tingling and muscle weakness. Herniated disc material is also caustic and irritates nerve roots.

There are eight pairs of nerve roots located in the cervical spine. When a person experiences a traumatic blunt forced hit such as from a car accident or truck accident in the Philadelphia Area, a herniated neck or cervical disc protrusion can occur. Your cervical spine, numbered C1 through C8, each have a nerve root. Each nerve root affects a different area in the upper body. If a nerve root is damaged by a herniated disc, the following areas of your body may be affected:

· C1-C2 affects your head and neck;
· C3 affects your diaphragm;
· C4, C7 - C8 affects your shoulders, arms and hands;
· C5-C6 affects your wrists.

If you have been involved in a Bucks County auto accident and sustained injuries to your neck, you may be suffering from a cervical herniated disc injury. There are many treatment options for a herniated neck disc injury and the type of therapy depends on the level of severity of damage to the cervical disc.

First, your doctor may have probably prescribed an anti-inflammatory medication prior to diagnostic testing in order to reduce the swelling of the muscles surrounding the herniated neck disc. Also, your doctor may recommend hot or cold therapy to be applied to your neck for pain and swelling. Physical Therapy may also be prescribed as a treatment for herniated neck disc injuries.

At some point, your doctor may request diagnostic testing to determine the extent of damage to the cervical disc in your neck. Such diagnostic testing can include an MRI or a CT Scan.
You may need to temporarily or perhaps permanently change your lifestyle to alleviate the pain. Other alternative methods of reducing pain include chiropractic therapy, massage, and electrical stimulation therapy. These types of therapies can help reduce the pressure of a herniated neck disc on the nerve and reduce the pain suffered by a person who has sustained a cervical herniated disc trauma.

There are different conservative treatments and procedures available to people who sustain a herniated disc injury. Non-surgical techniques of treatment are generally initially recommended. However, if the pain from a herniated neck disc becomes unbearable, your doctor may present surgical options for you to consider. Surgery on a herniated disc should only be considered as a last resort and only after non-surgical techniques have been exhausted.

If you are suffering from a herniated cervical disc from a Mercer County NJ or Bucks County PA auto accident, learn your options for medical recovery and legal recovery. Contact the Bucks County injury lawyers at Saile & Saile LLP for a no obligation, FREE Consultation.