1415 - Self-Resolution of Cervical Radiculopathy in Young Patient with Cervical Disc Extrusion: A Case Report

Thursday, February 19, 2026

5:00 PM - 6:30 PM AST

Presenting Author(s)

AH

Alexa Haupt, DO

Resident Physician
Detroit Medical Center, Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan
Royal Oak, Michigan, United States

Co-Author(s)

AD

Ashley D'Souza, n/a

Medical Student
Marian University Wood College of Osteopathic Medicine
Farmington Hills, Michigan, United States
TW

Tyler Williamson, MD

Associate Professor
DMC/Wayne State University School of Medicine
Detroit, Michigan, United States

Submitter(s)

AH

Alexa Haupt, DO

Detroit Medical Center, Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan
Royal Oak, Michigan, United States

Case Diagnosis: Large C6-C7 left paracentral disc extrusion

Case Description: A twenty-five-year-old male firefighter presented after lifting an approximately four hundred pound individual at work, experiencing a popping sensation in the left shoulder with radiating pain into the neck and elbow and left hand tingling. Initial evaluation focused on the shoulder, but radiculopathic symptoms worsened despite conservative management. A cervical MRI revealed a large C6–C7 left paracentral disc extrusion with foraminal narrowing and mild cord compression. Therapy was redirected to the cervical spine, and neurosurgical and pain management evaluations recommended surgery and injections, respectively. The patient opted to continue conservative care, including physical therapy and medications. A neuropathic agent was later introduced for additional relief. By three months post-injury, numbness and tingling had resolved, and neck pain was minimal. Repeat MRI showed mild canal narrowing with a broad-based disc-osteophyte complex at C6–C7 and resolution of the extrusion.

Discussions: Neck pain, radiculopathy, and myelopathy are common sequelae associated with cervical disc extrusion, with surgery as the most recommended treatment option. Regression of cervical disc extrusion as a result of conservative management is rare. To experience regression in the timeline of three months is rarer still, with the average time between initial presentation and regression of a herniated cervical disc reported to be approximately nine months.The etiology of regression of herniated discs is multifactorial, but the pathophysiology remains unknown.

Conclusions: Patients with cervical extrusion, especially as a result of an acute injury with dramatic MRI results are often led directly to surgical treatment. Early but aggressive conservative care should be considered for the management of cervical disc extrusion with resulting radiculopathic symptoms, especially in young, active populations. This case serves as evidence for expedient resolution of cervical disc extrusion without need for invasive treatment, therefore avoiding potential serious risks and complications that accompany surgical intervention.