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Surgery for Bulging Neck Disc

Injuries and aging can cause bulging discs in the neck (cervical disc herniation). Most herniated discs heal within four to six weeks. If disc pain and nerve compression continues beyond six weeks, surgery may be the next treatment option.

  1. The Facts

    • Bulging discs can cause two types of pain. Pain from the disc (discogenic pain) stays in or near the injury and does not radiate. Radiating pain (radiculopathy) comes from neighboring nerves suffering compression by the herniated disc.

    Considerations

    • According to Necksurgery.com, the primary goal of surgery for cervical disc herniation is preventing or reducing nerve damage, with pain relief as a secondary goal. If your herniated disc causes numbness, tingling or loss of arm control, your doctor may use surgery as the first line of treatment.

    Discectomy

    • Removing bulging discs eases both discogenic pain and radiculopathy, but remains controversial as the long-term effects of cervical (neck) disc removal vary among people. To avoid problems associated with disc removal, doctors fuse the vertebrae surrounding the resulting gap (spinal fusion).

    Disc Replacement

    • The doctor may suggest cervical disc replacement if your pain is severe and conservative treatments have failed. According to the North American Spine Society, artificial discs work best if your spine is healthy.

    Warning

    • Surgery addressing pain coming from within a herniated cervical disc (discogenic pain) is less effective than surgery addressing radiating pain and neurological deficits from nerve compression (radiculopathy).

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