Spine Surgery: Millions of people suffer from pain in their necks or
arms. A common cause of cervical pain is a rupture or herniation of one
or more of the cervical discs. This happens when the annulus of the
disc tears and the soft nucleus squeezes out. As a result, pressure is
placed on the nerve root or the spinal cord and causes pain in the
neck, shoulders, arms and sometimes the hands. Cervical disc
herniations can occur as a result of aging, wear and tear, or sudden
stress like from an accident. An anterior cervical discectomy is the
most common surgical procedure to treat damaged cervical discs. Its
goal is to relieve pressure on the nerve roots or on the spinal cord by
removing the ruptured disc. Watch neurosurgeons at St. Luke's Medical
Center in Milwaukee perform this surgery live at 12:00 Noon C.S.T.
