Pain in the cervical spine can be generated by the discs, facets, nerves and muscles. Cord compression generally will not cause pain but cause myelopathy or dysfunction of the cord.
The CT scan was performed to rule out any fractures but is not a great test to understand pain generation. Diffuse disc bulges simply means degenerative disc changes. These may or may not be painful.
Stenosis indicates narrowing of the spinal canal. This can be dangerous in some cases but generally will not cause neck pain.
Most cervical pain can be managed by physical therapy.
Dr. Corenman
PLEASE REMEMBER, THIS FORUM IS MEANT TO PROVIDE GENERAL INFORMATION ON SPINE ANATOMY, CONDITIONS AND TREATMENTS. TO GET AN ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS, YOU MUST VISIT A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL IN PERSON.
Donald Corenman, MD, DC is a highly-regarded spine surgeon, considered an expert in the area of neck and back pain. Trained as both a Medical Doctor and Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Corenman earned academic appointments as Clinical Assistant Professor and Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and his research on spine surgery and rehabilitation has resulted in the publication of multiple peer-reviewed articles and two books.
