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Herniated Disc C7-T1
What is a Bulging Disc C7-T1?This intervertebral level is also called the cervicothoracic junction. It marks the boundary between the neck (cervical spine) and the upper back (thoracic spine). Due to the anatomy of the spine, the cervical levels above this suffer most of the wear and tear and are called upon to bend and flex far more often. This makes C7/T1 very strong and resistant to most injures. However, herniations can occur here and may bring on severe symptoms in very rare instances.Herniated Disc C7-T1 FactsC7/T1 injuries are most common when extreme trauma is present, such as in the case of a car accident or severe fall. When stressed, the smaller, lighter vertebrae and spinal discs above this level will most commonly fail before C7/T1. Foraminal stenosis is a more common diagnosis here than spinal stenosis and is also actually the source of pain in most structural injuries. In these cases, the pain can exist in the affected arm and may be especially present in the knife-edge side of the hand and the pinky finger.Bulging Disc C7-T1 AdviceC7/T1 herniations are not the common scapegoats used to explain neck and upper back pain like many of the other cervical levels are. However, if one is present, it is likely to be a major consideration as the underlying reason for symptoms. However, like other herniations (maybe more so), it is likely to be completely innocent and coincidental to the pain in the majority of diagnosed patients. If stenosis is obvious, the diagnosis may be correct, if the expected symptoms correlate exactly. However, in my experience this is rarely the case and most mild to moderate C7/T1 herniations are not problematic in any way.3/2/10
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