Cervical Herniated Disc: What It Is and the Best Exercises for Relief

Les Douleur cervicales peuvent survenir pour un grand nombre de raisons. Une explication possible de cette gêne est une hernie discale dans ta colonne cervicale, qui est le segment le plus élevé de la colonne vertébrale qui traverse ton cou. Et bien que cela puisse sembler un peu effrayant, la vérité est que de nombreuses personnes ont une hernie discale cervicale et ne le savent même pas parce qu'elle ne provoque aucun symptôme, explique Julianne Payton, PT, DPT, physiothérapeute à Hinge Health. 

Les hernies discales sont souvent associées à des Douleur lombaires, mais tu peux subir des altérations discales n'importe où le long de ta colonne vertébrale, y compris dans le cou. Mais prends courage : Si tu as Douleur, que ce soit à cause d'une hernie discale cervicale ou non, il y a beaucoup de choses que tu peux faire pour te sentir mieux.

Lis la suite pour en savoir plus sur les causes d'une hernie discale cervicale et sur la façon de la traiter, notamment avec des exercices recommandés par nos physiothérapeutes de Hinge Health.

What Is a Cervical Herniated Disc?

Your spine is made up of bones called vertebrae that are stacked one on top of the other like building blocks. Rubbery discs sit between vertebrae to cushion them and help with movement. When you have a cervical herniated disc, the center of one (or more) of the flat, round discs in the cervical spine has pushed against its outer ring, says Dr. Payton.

The middle of each disc has a gel-like substance that’s surrounded by a tougher outer shell. In some cases, a disc may shift in such a way that some of the liquid center gets squeezed out, but that’s not a reason to panic, says Dr. Payton. “The center coming out isn’t necessarily a major contributor to pain, and the body can reabsorb that liquid or learn to adapt.”

One way pain can become an issue when a disc herniates is when the nerves (exiting the spinal cord) become irritated, which can cause pain in the shoulder, arm, or hand. It may be uncomfortable, but in only the rarest cases is it serious, says Dr. Payton. 

No matter what caused your cervical herniated disc, you might think it’s best to limit activity. But movement should be part of your recovery. “It’s natural for people to want to restrict neck movements for fear they may cause more pain, but movement is actually really helpful for neck pain,” says Dr. Payton. In fact, research fromBMC Musculoskeletal Disorders found that doing neck exercises often improves discomfort in this area (see below from some suggestions).

Hernie discale et bombement discal : quelle est la différence?

Many people wonder what the difference is between a herniated disc and a bulging disc. The terms are often used interchangeably, but they’re actually medically different. With a bulging disc, the jelly-like inner core doesn’t get squeezed out of its outer ring. It may protrude a bit, but it doesn’t exit the outer ring, which is what occurs when a disc herniates. Regardless of terminology, the symptoms and treatment are often the same.  

Cervical Herniated Disc: A Hinge Health Perspective

You may have a cervical herniated disc diagnosis, or you might have neck pain that feels like a herniated disc. And that label may make you feel stuck, like your pain is something you just have to live with. If there’s one thing we want you to know about your herniated disc, it’s this: You’re not stuck with your pain and there are always steps you can take to get back to doing what you love. 

You may not be able to control every issue involved in your neck pain, but you do have the power to change some important things. You can always take action to improve your situation — and that often starts with moving more. As our Hinge Health care team says, movement is medicine. Movement encourages blood and oxygen delivery to tissues for healing, keeps muscles strong and limber, and helps reduce pain. In other words, don’t talk yourself out of exercise — it’s exactly what you need to treat neck pain and prevent it in the future.

Symptoms of a Cervical Herniated Disc

Herniated discs don’t always cause symptoms; and research shows that it’s common for MRIs to show cervical disc herniations even when the person isn’t reporting any pain. In those cases, there isn’t anything you need to treat, says Dr. Payton. If you do feel pain, symptoms often include:

• Neck pain that occurs with movement.

• Neck pain that radiates through your arm; you might also have tingling or numbness in your arms or hands.

• Pain near your shoulder blade.

It’s not common, but it’s possible for a herniated disc to compress the spinal cord so much that it causes a sudden loss of bladder or bowel control or severe weakness in one or more limbs. This warrants immediate medical attention.

Causes of a Cervical Herniated Disc

A cervical herniated disc often happens as your body naturally ages and changes, says Dr. Payton. “It’s not necessarily something you did,” she says. The most commoncauses include:

• Aging

• Arthritis, especially neck osteoarthritis, which gets more common with age

• Injuries or trauma, like being in a car accident

Cervical Herniated Disc Prevention

Because the most common cause of a cervical herniated disc is aging, you can’t really do much to directly prevent it, says Dr. Payton. But know this: Just because you may not be able to prevent a cervical herniated disc, that doesn't mean there aren’t steps you can take to prevent it from causing you discomfort (remember: most herniated discs don’t hurt!).

By staying as active as possible, you can help prevent neck pain from occurring — whether you have a cervical herniated disc or not, says Dr. Payton.

Treatment Options

You don’t need a definitive diagnosis of a cervical herniated disc to start treating most neck pain. Some strategies include: 

Ice or heat. Either one can help relieve neck pain and soreness. Go with whichever feels better to you, says Dr. Payton.

Over-the-counter (OTC) medication. Pain relievers such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve), and acetaminophen (Tylenol) can be helpful for cervical herniated disc pain. It’s important to make sure that you are safely able to take these medications, based on your medical history.

Breathing exercises. Deep breathing can calm your nervous system and, in turn, dial down your body’s pain response. One relaxing option is pursed lip breathing. Here’s how to do it:

• Make a small circle with your lips as if you are about to whistle.

• Then, inhale through your nose.

• When you exhale, blow out slowly through your lips. When you increase your exhale, you can increase your sense of calm.

• To add a soothing element, blow slowly onto the palm of your hand. See which hand feels best to you.

Physical therapy. Any movement is beneficial, but a physical therapist can tailor a regimen to your specific needs. “Hinge Health’s neck program is set up really well to address people with a cervical herniated disc,” says Dr. Payton. “First, we emphasize stretching and desensitizing nerves. As you progress, you’ll work on strengthening muscles that support the neck and help it stay as strong as possible. The goal is to help you do more of the activities you want to do with less risk of flare-up or injury.” You can see a physical therapist in person or use a program like Hinge Health to access a PT via telehealth/video visit.

Injections. If your pain is significant and exercise and physical therapy hasn’t helped provide enough relief for you, thencorticosteroid injections may be worth a try, says Dr. Payton. “These injections are relatively low-risk and not as invasive as surgery, which would be a last resort,” she says.

Étirer et renforcer ton cou peut t'aider beaucoup si tu souffres d'une hernie discale cervicale. Mais ne t'arrête pas là. Les mouvements qui étirent et renforcent tout le haut du corps, y compris la poitrine, les shoulders, le upper back et les arms, aident tous à soutenir le cou et à soulager la tension et la Douleur causées par une hernie discale cervicale. 

Les informations contenues dans ces vidéos sont destinées à une utilisation à des fins éducatives uniquement et ne constituent pas un conseil ou un traitement médical pour un problème de santé précis. Hinge Health n'est pas ton prestataire de soins de santé et n'est pas responsable des blessures ou de toute aggravation de blessures que ton application de ces exercices pourrait causer. Consulte ton prestataire de soins pour toute question concernant ton état de santé ou ton traitement.

Astuce Physiothérapeute : Mélange-les

Les Douleur cervicales peuvent apparaître ou s'aggraver si tu gardes ton cou dans la même position pendant trop longtemps, explique le Dr Payton. "Si tu regardes droit devant toi devant un ordinateur la majeure partie de la journée, fais des pauses pour regarder en haut, en bas et d'un côté à l'autre", dit-elle. "Si tu es un plombier ou un électricien qui passe beaucoup de temps à regarder en haut, par exemple, fais des pauses pour regarder en bas. La variété est essentielle pour soulager les douleurs cervicales.

Comment Hinge Health peut t'aider

Si tu souffres de douleurs articulaires ou musculaires qui t'empêchent de bouger, tu peux obtenir le soulagement que tu cherchais grâce au programme de thérapie par le mouvement en ligne de Hinge Health. Le meilleur dans tout ça : Tu n'as pas besoin de quitter ton Accueil car notre Cheminement est numérique. Cela signifie que tu peux facilement obtenir les soins dont tu as besoin grâce à notre appli, quand et où cela te convient.

Grâce à notre Cheminement, tu auras accès à des exercices thérapeutiques et à des étirements adaptés à ton état. De plus, tu auras une Équipe de soins cliniques qui te Guide, te soutiendra et Tailor notre Cheminement à tes besoins.

Vois si tu as droit à Hinge Health et confirme la couverture gratuite par ton employeur ou ton régime d'avantages sociauxici.

Cet article et son contenu sont fournis à des fins éducatives et informatives uniquement et ne constituent pas des conseils médicaux ou des services professionnels spécifiques à toi ou concernant ton état de santé.

Les références

1. Neck pain: Overview. (2019, February 14). National Library of Medicine: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK338120/ 

2. Ma, B. (2023, August 12). Intervertebral disk. Medicine Plus. Retrieved from https://medlineplus.gov/ency/imagepages/19469.htm

3. Understanding Spinal Anatomy: Intervertebral Discs. (2016, December 20). Colorado Comprehensive Spine Institute. https://www.coloradospineinstitute.com/education/anatomy/intervertebral-discs/ 

4. Sharrak, S. & Al Khalili, Y. (2023, August 28). Cervical Disc Herniation. National Library of Medicine. StatPearls Publishing. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK546618/ 

5. Spinal Cord Compression. (n.d.). Johns Hopkins. Retrieved from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/spinal-cord-compression 

6. Wu, S.-K., Chen, H.-Y., You, J.-Y., Bau, J.-G., Lin, Y.-C., & Kuo, L.-C. (2022). Outcomes of active cervical therapeutic exercise on dynamic intervertebral foramen changes in neck pain patients with disc herniation. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 23(1). doi:10.1186/s12891-022-05670-6

7. Herniated cervical disc. (2022, September). Mayfield Brain and Spine. Retrieved from https://mayfieldclinic.com/pe-hcdisc.htm

8. Cervical Disc Herniation. (n.d.). Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Retrieved from https://www.columbiadoctors.org/health-library/condition/cervical-disc-herniation/    

9. Cervical Osteoarthritis (Arthritis in the Neck). (n.d.). Bon Secours. Retrieved from https://www.bonsecours.com/health-care-services/spine-care/conditions/cervical-osteoarthritis

10. Therapeutic Injections for Neck Pain. (n.d.). NYU Langone Health. Retrieved from  https://nyulangone.org/conditions/neck-pain/treatments/therapeutic-injections-for-neck-pain 

11. Nakashima, H., Yukawa, Y., Suda, K., Yamagata, M., Ueta, T., & Kato, F. (2015). Abnormal Findings on Magnetic Resonance Images of the Cervical Spines in 1211 Asymptomatic Subjects. Spine, 40(6), 392–398. doi:10.1097/brs.0000000000000775