One-Sided Neck Pain
Neck pain may feel sharp, aching, or concentrated on one side.
Lakeside Chiropractic · Joondalup
Cervical Disc Herniation Treatment in Joondalup
Neck pain, arm pain, or tingling fingers from a cervical disc injury. Here is what it means and what you can do about it.
A cervical disc herniation can produce sharp neck pain, burning into the arm, and tingling or numbness in the hand. For many people the symptoms arrive without any obvious injury or trigger.
Assess the Nerve
Reflexes, sensation, strength, and symptom patterns are checked
Build Around You
Care is selected for the disc level and presentation involved
Refer When Needed
MRI or urgent medical assessment may be recommended
Understanding the injury
What Is a Cervical Disc Herniation?
Your neck has seven vertebrae separated by discs. Each disc has a tough outer ring and a softer gel centre.
When the outer ring weakens or tears, the inner material can push outward and press on a nearby nerve root.
That nerve compression is what causes symptoms to travel down into the shoulder, arm, and hand.
The discs most commonly affected are C5/C6 and C6/C7, which supply much of the arm and hand.
Common symptoms
How Cervical Disc Herniation Can Feel
Symptoms vary depending on which disc is involved. Some people have mostly neck pain. Others have very little neck pain but significant arm pain, which can be mistaken for a shoulder or elbow problem.
Shoulder, Arm, or Hand Pain
Pain may travel into the shoulder, arm, forearm, or hand.
Burning or Tingling
Burning or tingling sensations may follow a particular path along the arm.
Numbness in the Fingers
The affected nerve root may cause numbness or reduced sensation in part of the hand.
Arm or Hand Weakness
Some people notice weakness in the arm, hand, or grip.
Symptoms Change With Neck or Arm Position
Symptoms may worsen when tilting the head back and may ease when raising the arm overhead.
Seek urgent assessment
Watch for Progressive Neurological Symptoms
Seek urgent medical assessment if you develop any of the following:
- Progressive arm weakness
- Balance changes
- Bowel or bladder changes
These may indicate spinal cord involvement.
Evidence and prognosis
What the Research Says
Recovery Is Often Favourable
A systematic review in The Spine Journal found that substantial improvements tend to occur within four to six months.
Approximately 83% of patients reached complete or near-complete recovery within 24 to 36 months.
Exercise Has Strong Support
A review in the BMJ by Cohen and Hooten (2017) found exercise holds the strongest evidence base for radiculopathy, with additional support for spinal manipulation in certain contexts.
Surgery may offer short-term advantages for some patients, but the difference largely disappears over the long term.
Manual Therapy and Exercise
The chiropractic guidelines by Bryans et al. (2014) drew on 41 randomised controlled trials.
The guidelines issued strong recommendations for treating chronic neck pain with manipulation, manual therapy, and exercise combined.
Assessment first
How We Help at Lakeside Chiropractic
We take a thorough history, examine your neck, test your reflexes and sensation, and work out what is driving your symptoms.
If imaging is needed, we will refer you for an MRI.
From there, we build a plan around the evidence and your specific presentation.
- History: We review the onset, pattern, severity, aggravating factors, and distribution of your symptoms.
- Neurological examination: Reflexes, sensation, strength, and nerve-related signs are assessed.
- Movement assessment: We examine the cervical joints, posture, and movements that reproduce or ease symptoms.
- Plan or referral: We explain what we found, recommend care where appropriate, and arrange imaging or medical referral when needed.
Chiropractic Adjustment and Mobilisation
Targeted techniques to improve movement at restricted joints and reduce load through the affected disc level.
Rehabilitation and Exercise
Targeted exercises to restore cervical strength, improve posture, and support recovery. Exercise is one of the best-supported interventions in the literature.
Soft Tissue Therapy
Hands-on work to address muscle tension in the neck, shoulders, and upper back.
Dry Needling
Fine needles into trigger points in the neck and shoulder to reduce referred pain patterns.
Cold Laser Therapy
Low-level laser applied to the cervical region to reduce inflammation around the nerve root and support tissue healing.
Cervical Traction
Manual and mechanical traction gently opens the spaces between vertebrae, reducing pressure on the nerve root.
A meta-analysis by Romeo et al. (2018) found significant pain reductions at short and intermediate follow-up for cervical radiculopathy.
Denneroll Cervical Orthotic
A home-use traction device that restores the natural curve of the neck.
A randomised controlled trial by Moustafa et al. (2022) found significant improvements in cervical lordosis and nerve function in patients with disc herniation and radiculopathy, maintained at six-month follow-up.
Kinesiology Taping
Applied to the neck and shoulder to support posture and reduce load between appointments.
Activator Method
A low-force instrument-assisted technique for patients who prefer a gentler approach.
Come and see us
Persistent Arm Pain or Tingling Is Worth Assessing
If you have neck pain radiating into your arm, persistent tingling, or grip weakness, it is worth getting assessed. Waiting tends to make things harder to manage.
We see patients from Currambine, Woodvale, Kingsley, Duncraig, Wanneroo, Tapping, Carramar, Heathridge, Edgewater, Mullaloo, Padbury, Banksia Grove, Yanchep, Gnangara, and across Perth's northern suburbs.
Call us on 9300 0095 or book online at lakesidechiro.com.au.
Disclaimer: This page provides general health information only and is not a substitute for professional assessment, diagnosis, or treatment. Results vary between individuals. Please consult a qualified health professional to discuss your individual circumstances.
Supporting literature
References
- Wong JJ, Cote P, et al. The course and prognostic factors of symptomatic cervical disc herniation with radiculopathy. Spine J. 2014;14(8):1781-9. PMID 24614255
- Cohen SP, Hooten WM. Advances in the diagnosis and management of neck pain. BMJ. 2017;358:j3221. PMID 28807894
- Bryans R, et al. Evidence-based guidelines for the chiropractic treatment of adults with neck pain. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2014;37(1):42-63. PMID 24262386
- Romeo A, Vanti C, et al. Cervical radiculopathy: effectiveness of adding traction to physical therapy. Phys Ther. 2018;98(4):231-242. PMID 29315428
- Moustafa IM, Diab AA, Harrison DE. Does improvement towards a normal cervical sagittal configuration aid in the management of lumbosacral radiculopathy. J Clin Med. 2022;11(19):5768. PMID 36233636
Location Details
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Sunday | 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM |
| Monday | 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM |
| Tuesday | 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM |
| Wednesday | 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM |
| Thursday | 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM |
| Friday | 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM |
| Saturday | 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM |
