Neck pain that won’t go away after an accident might be a sign of something serious. The cervical spine, especially at the C4/C5 and C5/C6 levels, is a common place for discs to herniate. These injuries aren’t always obvious immediately, but they can become life-altering if ignored.
Car crashes, falls, sports injuries, or even workplace accidents can all cause enough force to damage the discs in your neck. That pressure or trauma shifts the disc out of place, and when that happens near your spinal cord or nerves, you’ll likely feel it—sometimes immediately, sometimes later.
What Happens When a Disc Herniates at C5/C6?
C5/C6 is one of the most flexible parts of your neck, also making it one of the most vulnerable. When a disc herniates at this level, the inner material of the disc pushes out and can press on nearby nerves. This compression can trigger pain, numbness, tingling, or even muscle weakness.
The location of the herniation affects where you feel symptoms. At C5/C6, it’s common to feel pain that radiates into the shoulder, down the arm, or into the hand. Some people lose grip strength or coordination. Others deal with headaches or burning sensations that come and go.
It can take weeks after an accident for symptoms to show up, and that delay makes it easy to miss the connection, especially if you’re more focused on other injuries. But ignoring these signs can make the situation worse.
Common C5/C6 Disc Herniation Symptoms
While everyone’s different, many people with a herniated disc at C5/C6 describe a mix of the following symptoms:
- Sharp pain in the lower neck
- Pain that spreads into the shoulder or upper arm
- Numbness or tingling in the fingers
- Muscle weakness, especially in the arm or hand
- Limited range of motion in the neck
- Difficulty lifting objects or holding onto items
Depending on how the nerves are affected, some also report feeling off balance or experiencing dizziness. These can come and go or stick around all the time. Either way, they’re hard to ignore once they set in.
How a C4/C5 Herniation Is Different
Herniations at the C4/C5 level are similar to those at C5/C6, but they affect a slightly different nerve path. You might feel pain in the neck or shoulder instead of pain in the hand. Weakness often appears in the deltoid muscle (the one that lifts your arm away from your body).
These two levels are close together, so doctors usually need to conduct imaging tests to find the exact location of the problem. Regardless of the area, the daily impact can be the same: reduced mobility, chronic pain, and a major hit to your quality of life.
The Long-Term Effects of Herniated Disc in the Neck
Herniated discs don’t always heal very well. In some cases, they can lead to permanent disability, especially if the disc puts constant pressure on a nerve.
Long-term effects of having a herniated disc in the neck can include:
- Chronic pain
- Muscle atrophy
- Reduced function in arms or hands
- Problems with balance or coordination
Others may find they can’t return to work or perform everyday tasks as they used to. These injuries can derail your life, and when the cause wasn’t your fault, the damage feels even heavier.
Call Our Metairie Personal Injury Attorneys at Santana & Blanchard Personal Injury Lawyers After a Herniated Disc Injury
You shouldn’t shrug off a herniated cervical disc. Injuries here involve the central nerves that control your upper body’s movement, strength, and sensations. Even a “minor” accident, like a short fall, can cause major problems.
If someone else’s negligence caused the injury, you want to make sure you’re not the one stuck paying the price.
For more information, please contact the experienced [GEO] [PRACTICE AREA] lawyers at Santana & Blanchard Personal Injury Lawyers today. We offer an initial free consultation.
We proudly serve Louisiana and it’s surrounding areas, including Metairie, Gretna and Kenner.
Santana & Blanchard Personal Injury Lawyers
3500 N Hullen St Suite 17K
Metairie, LA 70002
(504) 323-6000
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