Cervical Conditions

Neck pain might improve with self-care, but cervical conditions become chronic problems in at least half of adults with neck pain. Brandon Ortega, MD, in Torrance and Long Beach, California, helps adults overcome neck problems with comprehensive care. Dr. Ortega begins your treatment with conservative care that often relieves the pain without surgery. If surgery is necessary, you can depend on his expertise as a fellowship-trained orthopedic spine surgeon. Call his practice, Brandon A. Ortega, MD, today to receive personalized care for cervical conditions.

What are cervical conditions?

Your cervical spine (neck) is made up of seven small vertebrae, with the top two devoted to carrying and moving your head. Ligaments stabilize the vertebrae, while muscles and tendons move your head and neck and support your posture.

You can easily pull the muscles and ligaments, suffer a neck injury, or develop degenerative diseases over years of wear-and-tear. Neck pain often arises from conditions like:

• Herniated discs (the disc’s soft inner core pushes through its cracked outer cover)
• Cervical spondylosis (osteoarthritis, degenerative disc disease, facet joint syndrome)
• Spondylolisthesis (vertebra slides out of position, causing instability)
• Radiculopathy (pinched nerve roots)
• Myelopathy (pinched spinal cord)
• Spinal stenosis (narrowed spinal openings)

Your cervical vertebrae have several openings that create protected pathways for your spinal nerves.

The spinal canal, made by openings in the center of each vertebra, lets nerves run from your brain through the spine. Two smaller openings (foramen) on the sides of each vertebra let nerves exit and reenter the spinal cord.

Any vertebral opening can narrow if problems like a herniated disc, bone spur, thickened ligament, or slipped vertebra protrude into the opening. As a result, you can develop central (spinal cord) or foraminal (nerve root) stenosis.

Which symptoms do cervical conditions cause?

Problems in your cervical spine usually cause neck pain, limited head and neck movement, and headaches. Pinched nerves cause pain and tingling running through your shoulder, arm, and hand.

Myelopathy can cause leg weakness and affect your ability to walk. Severely damaged nerves lead to numbness and muscle weakness in your arm and hand, possibly making it hard to grip and hold onto objects.

How are cervical conditions treated?

Dr. Ortega has extensive orthopedic experience and has helped many patients overcome neck pain without surgery. He begins by completing an exam and ordering diagnostic images like X-rays, CT, or an MRI.

After diagnosing your neck condition, Dr. Ortega develops a personalized treatment plan, starting with conservative treatments. Your treatment can include activity modification, physical therapy, and various pain management techniques.

If your symptoms do not improve, he discusses cervical procedures to repair the underlying condition. Dr. Ortega achieves exceptional results as an expert in minimally invasive and motion perserving cervical spine surgery.

Seek help right away for neck pain that does not improve, gets worse, or causes pain that radiates down your arms. Call Brandon A. Ortega, MD, today to get expert care for cervical conditions.