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Why do you get disc damage and prolapse in the neck?

We constantly receive questions from readers through our free questioning service why you get prolapse in the neck (neck prolapse). We answer that in this article. Feel free to contact us at Our Facebook page if you have any questions or comments.

A brief summary first of what a prolapse really is:

Prolapse of the neck is a condition of injury in one of the intervertebral discs in the cervical spine (neck). Prolapse of the neck (neck prolapse) means that the softer mass (nucleus pulposus) has pushed through the more fibrous outer wall (annulus fibrosus) and thus presses against the spinal canal. It is important to know that prolapse of the neck can be asymptomatic or symptomatic. When pressing against nerve roots in the neck, neck pain and nerve pain down the arm can be experienced, corresponding to the nerve root that is irritated / pinched.

Such symptoms can be numbness, radiation, tingling and electric shock that shoots down into the arm - it can also occasionally experience muscle weakness or muscle wasting (with prolonged lack of nerve supply). Symptoms may vary. In folklore, the condition is often incorrectly called 'disc slip in the neck' - this is incorrect as the discs are stuck in between the cervical vertebra and can not be 'slipped out'.

Why do you get neck prolapse? Possible causes?

There are many factors that determine whether you get prolapse, both epigenetic and genetic.

Genetic causes: Among the congenital reasons why you can get prolapse, we find the shape of the back and neck and curves - for example, a very straight neck column (so-called straightened cervical lordosis) could lead to load forces not being distributed across the joints as a whole (read also : Outstretched back gives a higher chance of prolapse and back pain), but then rather hits what we call transition joints since the forces thus travel straight down through the column without being reduced through the curves. A transition joint is the area where one structure passes into another - an example is the cervicotoracal transition (CTO) where the neck meets the thoracic spine It is also no coincidence that it is in this particular joint between C7 (lower neck joint) and T1 (upper thoracic joint) gets the highest incidence of prolapse in the neck.

Anatomically, one can also be born with a weaker and thinner outer wall (annulus fibrosus) in the intervertebral disc - this will, naturally enough, have a higher risk of being affected by disc injury / disc prolapse.

epigenetics: By epigenetic factors is meant conditions around us that affect our lives and our state of health. These can be socio-economic conditions such as poverty - which means that you may not be able to afford to see a clinician when the nerve pain first started, and which thus led to you not being able to do the things that were necessary to do before a prolapse occurred. . It can also be diet, smoking, activity level and so on. Did you know, for example, that smoking can lead to increased muscle pain and poorer healing due to reduced blood circulation?

Job / load: A workplace that contains many heavy lifts in unfavorable positions (eg forward bent with twisting) or constant compression (pressure through the shoulders - eg due to heavy packing or bulletproof vest) can over time lead to overload and damage in the lower soft the intervertebral discs. This in turn can cause the soft mass to leak out and provide a basis for a prolapse. In case of prolapse in the neck, it is often seen that the person has a static and demanding job - among other things, several office workers, veterinarians, surgeons and dental assistants are affected due to their occasional static positions when they work.

Who is affected by cervical prolapse?

The condition primarily affects younger people aged 20-40 years. This is due to the fact that the inner mass (nucleus pulposus) is still soft at this age, but that it gradually hardens with age and that thus the chance of prolapse is also reduced. On the other hand, there are often wear changes and spinal stenosis more common causes of nerve pain in those over 60 years of age.

- The neck is a complicated structure that needs some training and attention as well.

Also read: - 5 Custom Exercises For You With Neck Prolapse

What can I do even against pain in muscles, nerves and joints?

1. General exercise, specific exercise, stretching and activity are recommended, but stay within the pain limit. Two walks a day of 20-40 minutes make good for the whole body and sore muscles.

2. Trigger point / massage balls we strongly recommend - they come in different sizes so you can hit well even on all parts of the body. There is no better self help than this! We recommend the following (click the image below) - which is a complete set of 5 trigger point / massage balls in different sizes:

3. Training: Specific training with training tricks of various opponents (such as this complete set of 6 knits of different resistance) can help you train strength and function. Knit training often involves more specific training, which in turn can lead to more effective injury prevention and pain reduction.

4. Pain Relief - Cooling: Biofreeze is a natural product that can relieve pain by cooling the area gently. Cooling is especially recommended when the pain is very severe. When they have calmed down then heat treatment is recommended - it is therefore advisable to have both cooling and heating available.

5. Pain Relief - Heating: Warming up tight muscles can increase blood circulation and reduce pain. We recommend the following reusable hot / cold gasket (click here to read more about it) - which can be used both for cooling (can be frozen) and for heating (can be heated in the microwave).

Recommended products for pain relief for nerve pain