A C5-C6 herniated disc is the second most common slipped disc condition that occurs in the general population, after the C7 nerve root (C6-C7 disc herniation), which is the most commonly affected level. What is commonly known as a ‘cervical disc herniation’ usually leads to something called ‘cervical radiculopathy’, which are a series of symptoms that affect the muscles down the arm where the nerve travels.
This happens due to the herniated disc impinging on the exiting nerve root causing painful symptoms occurring from the neck down to the arms and hands, and can often cause upper extremity weakness, a tingling or burning sensation down the arm, and reduced reflexes.
C5-C6 disc herniation is commonly associated with pain in the neck and upper shoulder region
What are some of the C5-C6 disc herniation symptoms?
- Pain areas: Neck, upper shoulders, outer side of the upper arm to elbow; sometimes outer part of forearm to thumb & index finger; Sometimes a tingling or burning sensation is felt along those areas
- Muscle weakness felt: Raising shoulders out to the side (shoulder abduction), bending the elbow (elbow flexion), pushing the wrist upwards (wrist extension)
- Changes to reflexes: Reduced biceps tendon reflexes
- Conditions that it can mimic: Rotator cuff injury (Feels like a upper shoulder pain with weakness)
- How to differentiate: With C5-C6 slipped disc and rotator cuff injury, there will be weakened shoulder abduction and possible pain traveling to the deltoid area, but a C5-C6 injury would have no shoulder pain or tenderness during passive exercises; Reflexed also remain intact in a rotator cuff tear
What happens if a C5-C6 slipped disc remains untreated?
As you can see, there are a series of symptoms happening during a C5-C6 injury, among which affect the sensation, muscles, and reflexes.
- Nerve damage & weakness
If left untreated, the circulation to the surrounding nerves reduces, causing chronic pain and discomfort. A study by Lama et al in 2018 found that nociceptive nerves (nerves which detect pain sensations) within human discs could cause chronic discogenic pain if they become ‘sensitised’, most likely by inflammatory changes or bacterial infection which are present in many degenerated and herniated discs. - Chronic pain & discomfort
Left untreated, someone with a C5-C6 disc herniation may suffer from persistent neck pain, stiffness, and discomfort that worsens with movement. It may start to affect their sleep, causing them to complain that it is difficult to find a comfortable position to sleep in (and to sleep throughout the night without waking up!), leaving them to wake up feeling extra stiff and tired. This tiredness affects daily function, ruining the day.
Additionally, lack of sleep can further exacerbate pain. There is strong evidence that having short or disturbed sleep can cause hyperalgesia (an increased sensitivity to painful stimulation) due to suppression of the systems in the body which help to relieve pain (e.g. the opioid system, dopamine signalling, and inflammatory mediators). - Reduced mobility & function
The above point of persistent pain often leads to poor function, severely limits range of motion and makes it difficult to perform everyday tasks. Your work may start to become affected and productivity drops, especially if you need to use your neck everyday at work – which is all of us!
Holding up your head to look at the screen takes strength and endurance of your neck muscles, and a disc injury makes it difficult to continue doing that without taking long breaks to rest your neck. If your job involves heavy labour, the constant moving back and forth of the arms and upper body stretches the already inflamed nerves, often causing more flares of pain at the end of the work day; again, affecting your sleep quality through the night.
Seek treatment as early as possible
The long-term prognosis for an untreated C5-C6 disc herniation is poor, as it can result in chronic pain, permanent nerve damage, and significant functional impairment. It is important to look for treatment the moment you start to feel such symptoms of pain around the neck, because targeting treatment at the early stages helps to prevent your condition from worsening, resulting in lengthier (and more expensive overall) treatment durations.
Seek a qualified healthcare professional to guide you through your recovery journey and teach you methods on how to prevent & manage flares in the future if you already have a history of C5-C6 slipped discs. Contact us at Spinefit by giving us a call or book an appointment online today so that we can work together with you to get you back on track with your quality of life!
References
- Yoon WW, Koch J. Herniated discs: when is surgery necessary? EFORT Open Rev. 2021 Jun 28;6(6):526-530. doi: 10.1302/2058-5241.6.210020.
- Lama P et al. Nerves and blood vessels in degenerated intervertebral discs are confined to physically disrupted tissue. J Anat. 2018 Jul;233(1):86-97. doi: 10.1111/joa.12817.
- Kang KC, Lee HS, Lee JH. Cervical Radiculopathy Focus on Characteristics and Differential Diagnosis. Asian Spine J. 2020 Dec;14(6):921-930. doi: 10.31616/asj.2020.0647.
- Haack M et al. Sleep deficiency and chronic pain: potential underlying mechanisms and clinical implications. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2020 Jan;45(1):205-216. doi: 10.1038/s41386-019-0439-z.