The acute cervical disk.

Acute cervical disk herniations represent one facet of the broad spectrum of cervical disk degeneration. It is productive of symptoms through mechanical compression and biochemical inflammation of the nerve roots and spinal cord. The majority of patients will respond to a conscientiously applied course of conservative treatment. In those individuals who fail to respond to conservative treatment in terms of pain relief or in whom a significant neurologic deficit occurs surgical decompression of the neural elements should be undertaken.