What is Neurosurgery | Patient Education Materials

What is Neurosurgery | Patient Education Materials | Neck Pain

Thursday, December 20th, 2007 | Neck Pain with

The Cervical Spine

Your neck is part of a long flexible column, known as the spinal column or backbone, which extends through most of your body. The cervical spine (neck region) consists of seven bones (C1-C7 vertebrae), which are separated from one another by intervertebral discs. These discs allow the spine to move freely and act as shock absorbers during activity.

Attached to the back of each vertebral body is an arch of bone that forms a continuous hollow longitudinal space, which runs the whole length of your back. This space, called the spinal canal, is the area through which the spinal cord and nerve bundles pass. The spinal cord is bathed in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and surrounded by three protective layers called the meninges (dura, arachnoid, and pia mater).

At each vertebral level, a pair of spinal nerves exit through small openings called foramina (one to the left and one to the right). These nerves serve the muscles, skin and tissues of the body and thus provide sensation and movement to all parts of the body. The delicate spinal cord and nerves are further supported by strong muscles and ligaments that are attached to the vertebrae.

Common Causes of Neck Pain

You may have been referred to a neurosurgeon because of pain in your neck or shoulder, or tingling and numbness in your arms. You may also have experienced some weakness in your arms or hands.

Neck pain may be caused by disc degeneration, narrowing of the spinal canal, arthritis, and, in rare cases, cancer or meningitis. For serious neck problems, a primary care physician and often a specialist, such as a neurosurgeon, should be consulted to make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe treatment.

You should consult a neurosurgeon for neck pain if:

It occurs after an injury or blow to the head
Fever or headache accompanies the neck pain
Stiff neck prevents you from touching your chin to your chest
Pain shoots down one arm
There is tingling, numbness or weakness in your arms or hands
Neck symptoms associated with leg weakness or loss of coordination in arms or legs.
Your pain does not respond to over-the-counter pain medication
Pain does not improve after a week

Age, injury, poor posture, or diseases such as arthritis can lead to degeneration of the bones or joints of the cervical spine, causing disc herniation or bone spurs to form. Sudden severe injury to the neck may also contribute to disc herniation, whiplash, blood vessel destruction, vertebral injury, and, in extreme cases, permanent paralysis. Herniated discs or bone spurs may cause a narrowing of the spinal canal or the small openings through which spinal nerve roots exit. Pressure on a nerve root by a herniated disc or a bone spur may result in:

Pain in the arm and neck
Numbness or weakness in the arm or forearm
Tingling in the fingers or hand

Pressure on the spinal cord in the cervical region can be a very serious problem because virtually all of the nerves to the rest of the body have to pass through the neck to reach their final destination (arms, chest, abdomen, legs). This can potentially compromise the function of many important organs.

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