What should I do for a cervical disc herniation?

Cervical disc herniation is one of the more common spinal disorders encountered clinically, second only to lumbar disc herniation in incidence. Following varying degrees of degenerative changes, external factors may cause rupture of the annulus fibrosus, allowing the nucleus pulposus to protrude or extrude into the spinal canal. This results in compression of adjacent structures—such as spinal nerve roots and the spinal cord—leading to symptoms including headache and dizziness. There are two primary treatment approaches:

I. Non-surgical therapy, which includes traction, massage (tuina), physical therapy, exercise, nerve blockade, and pharmacotherapy, among others. Among these, traction, massage (tuina), physical therapy, and exercise are the most commonly employed modalities. As each modality targets different symptom profiles, their application should always be guided by a physician.

II. Surgical therapy. Surgical interventions are broadly categorized into anterior cervical decompression and posterior cervical decompression. Anterior cervical decompression is typically indicated for patients with centrally located disc herniations and involves using a ring saw to perform decompression and remove the damaged intervertebral disc. Posterior cervical decompression is generally reserved for patients with laterally located cervical disc herniations; in cases of isolated disc herniation, this approach entails direct removal of the herniated disc tissue compressing the nerve root.