C8 Disc Herniations Respond to West Des Moines Chiropractic

Thoracic disc herniations. They’re not very ordinary. They are not mentioned much. But thoracic disc herniations do exist. The C7/T1 disc herniations are even more unusual and are presented in the spine literature more due to their unusualness. Executive Chiropractic of Iowa embraces unusual! Unusual calls for care and attention. Executive Chiropractic of Iowa tends to unusual presentations like thoracic disc herniations, especially those at the C7/T1 spinal level which is also known as the cervicothoracic junction where the neck connects with the upper back.

C7/T1 disc herniations are unusual from their neighbors, cervical disc herniations (neck) and thoracic disc herniations (mid-back). Why? They have a habit of herniating laterally (out to the side) rather than centrally. What makes that unusual? The C7/T1 disc level doesn’t normally have Luschka joints. These joints hold the intervertebral discs in place and decrease the risk of herniation. They permit flexion and extension and limit the amount of lateral flexion in the cervical spine. One medical report documents a rare episode of a central C7/T1 disc herniation that caused lower extremity numbness and weakness in addition to gait disturbance though in a patient who had no or very little hand-related symptoms that would otherwise be anticipated. (1) Know that your West Des Moines chiropractor will do a careful examination and discover the root cause of your pain with familiarity of unusual incidences like this.

C7/T1 disc herniations account for 3.5% to 4% of all herniated cervical discs. (2,3) They tend to be misdiagnosed due to their unusual neurological findings. C7/T1 disc herniations (aka herniations of the C8 disc) produce weakness in hand muscles.  The C8 nerve roots extend outward between the C7 and T1 vertebrae. (4) They sit above the C8 disc making it unusual for a disc herniation to compress the C8 nerve. (5) But when it does, a C7/T1 disc herniation usually shoots pain down the arm into the ring and pinky fingers (which sometimes confuses the case as pain here also suggests of ulnar neuropathy). (3,4) It won’t be confusing to your West Des Moines chiropractor though! Executive Chiropractic of Iowa knows the tests to do and questions to ask to make the diagnosis.

Listen to a podcast about neck pain helped with Cox Technic.