What Are The Symptoms Of A Bulging Disc In The Neck C5 C6 Disc Bulge Symptoms? | Dr Walter Salubro

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How do you know if your neck and arm pain symptoms are because of a C5, C6 disc bulge. In this video, I’m going to explain what the symptoms of a bulging disc in the neck, C5, C6 are. Hi, it’s Dr. Walter Salubro, I’m a chiropractor in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. What makes our office unique and different is that we apply corrective chiropractic methods to the spine and we’ve helped many people recover from chronic spinal conditions with these non-surgical corrective methods. We’ve helped people recover from conditions like disc bulges, whether it’s C5, C6, or disc bulges in the cervical spine which is the neck. We also help those with disc bulges in L4 L5, or L5 S1 which is the lower back, and conditions like sciatica, leg pain, arm tingling, numbness, headaches, shoulder pain, upper back pain, as well as conditions like bad posture and scoliosis. In the video, not only will I explain what the symptoms are of a bulging disc at C5, C6 in the cervical spine, I will also tell you the nerve that is involved, the distribution of that nerve, what it innervates and what it does, and the kind of things we do to help correct the problem.

If you are new to my channel, be sure to click on that subscribe button and the notification bell so you get notified every time I post a new video that comes out weekly so you know how to relieve pain, conquer stress, supercharge your health naturally, safely and effectively. In another video that will be linked down below, I cover other information about C5, C6 disc bulge treatment without surgery as well as exercises that we use to help people rehabilitate their cervical spine. So what are the symptoms of C5, C6 disc bulge? How do you even know that you have it? First of all, many people are most likely to going to get a C5, C6 disc bulge diagnosed with an MRI, but let’s say that you are having neck or arm pain. Could it be from a C5, C6 disc bulge? Not all neck pain and arm pain are from a C5 C6 disc bulge.

It’s important to understand what nerves are involved. Picture this, you have a vertebra above and below and in between is a bulging disc. The most common area of disc degeneration, arthritic changes or arthritis in the neck and disc bulges are in that C5, C6 because that’s where the apex of the cervical lordosis or the cervical curve is, the highest peak of the cervical spine which is circular in shape. It is the most mobile area and is the most susceptible to abnormal stresses or loads, especially if the spine is out of alignment or structurally distorted. In the C5 C6 area, the nerve that comes out is the cervical nerve number six or C6 nerve and that nerve distributes into the arm. The sensation part of it, goes into the forearm, the lateral aspect which is the outside part of the forearm and also the thumbs. There could be some numbness sensations due to C5, C6 disc bulge that’s irritating that C6 nerve, there could be some tingling sensation, that pins and needles sensation as well. That nerve also innervates the muscles, it innervates the bicep muscles and also the extensor muscles of the wrist so there could be weakness in those muscles as well. That usually happens when there’s more advance disc bulging that really chokes off that nerve that comes off from the side of the neck, which is that C6 nerve. Those typically are the main radicular symptoms, radicular meaning branching out along the nerve root distribution which are the muscles and the dermatome distributions, which are the light touch sensation across the skin.

A C5, C6 disc bulge can cause local neck pain. A disc itself is a pain generator because when the disc is injured or damaged, they create inflammation. Inflammation is one of the triggers for pain and it can be very excruciating. Another symptom can be limited mobility because when there is a C5, C6, disc damage and inflammation, the more you move your neck and bend your neck it will cause irritation to that disc and cause more pain. The body will tend to restrict that mobility and cause a guarding so there is limited and restricted neck mobility. There can also be muscle contractions and spasms in the neck as well as the upper shoulder. That will trigger not only local muscle pain, but also a tightness sensation or spasm sensation and limited mobility in the neck due to contractions of the muscle.

So you’ve got the neck pain, the muscle tightness which are all local, as well as shoulder pain which can be involved. You have the tingling and numbing sensation that goes into the lateral aspect of the forearm, the thumb. And if it gets really bad, there can be weakness in the extensor aspect of the wrist and also weakness at the biceps. Those are the most common symptoms that are associated with a C5 C6 disc bulge in the cervical spine. The most important thing is, if you have these symptoms then you should get it checked by your doctor and visit a chiropractor. If your symptoms are persisting, do get an MRI to surely diagnose the precise problem and damage to the spine and consider treatment options. There are many things that can be done, whether it’s exercise, rest, medication. That is up to you to figure out with your medical doctor, but also consider chiropractic care of any kind. Chiropractic care can help loosen the spine, especially the restricted parts above and below the disc area. Also corrective chiropractic methods such as what I do, will help to isolate the main problems causing that disc bulge. Whether it’s a misalignment issue or a distortion in the spinal alignment, whether it’s a loss of cervical curve or kyphosis or a lateral shifting, poor posture, any combination of that, we apply corrective methods to help restore that alignment of the spine and improve the posture. Not only does that help to relieve symptoms in the neck and locally in the arm, but it also helps to stabilize the spine, prevent it from progressing but most importantly stabilize it in the moment and solve the underlying root cause of the problem that could be related to that C5 C6 disc bulge.

We have helped many people in our office with different types of traction therapies, exercises and corrective methods to help resolve their symptoms in their arms and their neck so their quality of life improves, their mobility improves, their pain decreases and they can enjoy life all over again. I hope you found this video useful. If you are new, consider subscribing to my channel. I put out videos on a weekly basis on corrective methods for chronic spinal conditions, exercises tips and strategies to relieve pain across the lower back, neck, hip and arms. Share this video with your family friends and I’ll catch you in the next video.

Written by Dr. Walter Salubro