neck anatomy
what diseases and disorders affect your cervical spine?
Cervical radiculopathy. This condition arises when a cervical nerve is pinched by cervical vertebrae. You may experience tingling, numbness, weakness and pain. Symptoms may remain local or can spread to your entire arm, hand and fingers. Cervical radiculopathy is also called a pinched nerve or cervical nerve compression.
Neck pain. Neck pain is a common symptom of many different injuries and medical conditions. Common causes include degenerative conditions (osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis, herniated disk, pinched nerve), whiplash, mental stress, physical strain, poor posture, growths (tumors, cysts, bone spurs), meningitis, rheumatoid arthritis and cancer.
Cervical degenerative disk disease. Cervical degenerative disk disease occurs when the disks in your cervical spine wear down.
Herniated disk. This condition is a tear or leak to the disks that provide a cushion between vertebrae. Intervertebral disks allow you to bend and move with ease.
Bone spurs in your cervical spine (cervical osteophytes). Bone spurs are growths that occur on any of the seven vertebrae in your cervical spine.
Cervical spondylosis. Cervical spondylosis, also called arthritis of the neck, is the age-related slow degeneration of your disks and joints in your cervical spine
Cervical spinal cord injury. A cervical spinal cord injury is an injury to your cervical vertebrae. Most spinal cord injuries are the result of a sudden, traumatic blow to the vertebrae.
Cervical spinal fracture. A fracture to the bones of your spine can result from compression (often from minor trauma in a person with osteoporosis) or be a burst fracture (vertebra that’s crushed in all directions) or a fracture-dislocation (mostly from vehicle accidents or falls from heights).
Cervical spinal cord compression (cervical spondylotic myelopathy). This is a condition in which there’s pressure on your spinal cord in the cervical area of your spine. One of the most common causes is wear and tear on the bones of your spine, a condition called osteoarthritis.
Cervical stenosis. This condition occurs when your spinal canal in the cervical spine area narrows. Less space within your cervical spine reduces the amount of space available for your spinal cord and nerves that branch off the spinal cord. A tightened space can cause your spinal cord or nerves to become irritated, compressed or pinched.
Cervical spinal tumor and cancer. Tumors are abnormal growths of tissue inside your spinal column. They can either be noncancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant).
Meningitis. Meningitis is an infection of the meninges. The meninges are a protective lining around your brain and spinal cord.
Osteomyelitis. Osteomyelitis is a bacterial or fungal infection of the bone, in this case, the vertebrae of your spine. If left untreated, it can lead to the death of vertebrae.