Chills, Night Sweats: May Be Signs Of Neck Hernia

The most common symptom of a cervical hernia is a pain in the neck, shoulder, arm, or hand. The location, nature, and intensity of the pain depend primarily on which vertebrae and intervertebral discs are affected.

The spinal column, stretching from the skull to the tailbone, consists of vertebrae and intervertebral discs located between the vertebrae. The intervertebral discs have an outer, more challenging, and inner, soft, jelly-like part. A herniated disc or spinal hernia can be spoken of if this more delicate inner part protrudes to a greater or lesser extent from its place through the outer, more complicated role. And the protruding portion can press and irritate the nerves adjacent to the spinal column. The spinal hernia is a characteristic disease of the older age group. It is a natural consequence of the aging processes that the intervertebral discs are damaged, dry out, lose their elasticity, and thus become more vulnerable.

Cervical hernia symptoms: pain, tingling, insensitivity

Of course, the cervical spine hernia may not have any symptoms. In this case, it is usually only by chance that a hernia has formed on the cervical section of the spine during an examination with an imaging device.

The most characteristic symptoms of a cervical hernia are neck pain (the back or side of the neck is affected), pain, tingling, or insensitivity in the shoulder, arm, or hand—the range of motion in the neck narrows. The movement becomes painful, and the pain can also intensify when you make specific movements or strain your neck. The intensity of pain may decrease at rest.

Some symptoms are less characteristic for cervical spinal hernia, but they should not be neglected either, and it is even imperative not to deal with them. This is because neck pain can be a symptom of serious infections, inflammatory diseases, even malignant tumors. These warning symptoms include fever and chills, night sweats, unexplained weight loss, lymph node swelling. The neck pain, in this case, is continuous and does not want to go away, in contrast to the one associated with the cervical spine, in which the unpleasant sensations decrease in specific postures or after rest.

Read on! Neck pain after sleep – what can cause it?

Where exactly does the cervical hernia hurt?
The symptoms of a cervical hernia, the intensity of pain, and discomfort depend on several things. First of all, of course, from which vertebrae (more precisely, which intervertebral discs are affected). The cervical vertebrae, the nerve sections located next to them, are designated by specialists as C. A cervical hernia can affect the nerves between C2-C8 and the T1 nerve in the upper back.

Accordingly, the symptoms of a cervical hernia can be:
eye or ear pain and headache
pain, tenderness, cramping of the trapezius muscle at the back of the neck
pain in the neck, shoulder, shoulder, arm, or hand; pain can even radiate to the fingers
impaired elbow and wrist movement
muscle weakness in the shoulder, arm, forearm, or hand
numbness, tingling of the neck, shoulders, arms, hands, or fingers