Cervicothoracic Junction Disc Herniations Respond to Richmond Chiropractic

Thoracic disc herniations. They’re not very common. They are not discussed much. But thoracic disc herniations do exist. The C7/T1 disc herniations are even more unusual and are reported in the spine literature more due to their unusualness. Johnson Chiropractic embraces unusual! Unusual calls for care and attention. Johnson Chiropractic cares for unusual presentations like thoracic disc herniations, specifically those at the C7/T1 level of the spine aka 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 are inclined to herniate laterally (out to the side) rather than centrally. What makes that unusual? The C7/T1 disc level does not typically have Luschka joints. These joints secure the intervertebral discs in place and lessen the risk of herniation. They allow flexion and extension and limit the extent of lateral flexion in the neck. One medical report documents a rare episode of a central C7/T1 disc herniation that produced 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 Richmond chiropractor will do a careful examination and discover the source 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 are inclined 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 exit between the C7 vertebra and the T1 vertebra. (4) These nerves are positioned above the C8 disc making it unusual for a disc herniation to compress the C8 nerve. (5) Nevertheless when it does, a C7/T1 disc herniation usually fires pain down the arm into the ring and pinky fingers (which may be confusing as pain here is also indicative of ulnar neuropathy). (3,4) It will not be confusing to your Richmond chiropractor though! Johnson Chiropractic is ready with the tests to do and questions to ask to determine the diagnosis.

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