Can Cervical Nerve Impingement Impact the Brain?

We have previously talked about how the spinal nerves are instrumental in our ability to feel things throughout the body. Nerve damage in the spine can lead to negative symptoms in the back and elsewhere in the body. But is that true for the brain as well? Specifically, can nerve impingements in the cervical spine negatively impact the brain? That’s our topic of conversation in this article.

Cervical Nerves & The Brain

The spinal nerves transmit pain and other signals to and from the brain to the rest of the body. When a nerve is damaged, these signals are interrupted and can result in the patient experiencing pain or loss of sensation in the back or extremities. However, damage to the nerves in the spine typically only impacts parts of the body below the level of nerve damage. So if you damage a nerve in your low back, your legs may be impacted, but your arms typically won’t be. So damage to the cervical nerves may disrupt signals from the brain to other areas of the body, but won’t directly damage the brain itself.

Symptoms of a Cervical Pinched Nerve

Here are some of the potential symptoms that may indicate a pinched nerve in the cervical spine:

• Pain in the neck or head
• Stiffness or mobility issues in the neck
• Tingling or numbness in the back or extremities

Nerve impingements in the neck, or anywhere else in the spine can be extremely dangerous. Seek medical attention right away if you notice any signs of a pinched nerve in your neck. Depending on the circumstances surrounding the nerve impingement, you may need minimally invasive keyhole surgery to decompress the nerve and prevent permanent damage and paralysis. Inspired Spine’s revolutionary surgical procedures have been developed to allow surgeons to perform these procedures in the shortest times possible, and with the least disruption possible. That means patients are back at home recovering on the same day as the procedure, and that pain is kept to a minimum. Contact us today to learn more about our procedures, or find a provider in your area.