Cervicothoracic Junction Disc Herniations Respond to Montreal Chiropractic

Thoracic disc herniations. They’re not very ordinary. They’re not mentioned much. But thoracic disc herniations do exist. The C7/T1 disc herniations are even more unusual and are shared in the spine literature more because of their unusualness. Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic welcomes unusual! Unusual calls for care and attention. Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic tends to unusual presentations like thoracic disc herniations, specifically those at the C7/T1 level of the spine aka the cervicothoracic junction where the neck links with the upper back.

C7/T1 disc herniations are unusual from their adjacent segments, cervical disc herniations (neck) and thoracic disc herniations (mid-back). Why? They tend to herniate laterally (out to the side) rather than centrally. What makes that unusual? The C7/T1 disc level does not normally have Luschka joints. These joints hold the intervertebral discs in place and decrease the risk of herniation. They allow flexion and extension and limit the amount of lateral flexion in the neck. There is a report of a rare episode of a central C7/T1 disc herniation that caused lower extremity numbness and weakness in addition to gait disturbance though in a patient who had no or very little hand-related symptoms that would otherwise be expected. (1) Be confident that your Montreal chiropractor will perform a careful examination and discern the root cause of your pain with awareness of unusual occurrences like this.

C7/T1 disc herniations make up 3.5% to 4% of all herniated cervical discs. (2,3) They tend to be misdiagnosed owing to their unusual neurological findings. C7/T1 disc herniations (aka herniations of the C8 disc) cause weakness in hand muscles.  The C8 nerve roots exit between the C7 and T1 vertebrae. (4) These nerves are positioned above the C8 disc making it unusual for a disc herniation to press on the C8 nerve. (5) But when it does, a C7/T1 disc herniation usually sends pain down the arm into the ring and pinky fingers (which sometimes confuses the case as pain here is also indicative of ulnar neuropathy). (3,4) It won’t be confusing to your Montreal chiropractor though! Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic knows the tests to do and questions to ask to make the diagnosis.

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