Kenny Habetz Injury Law | July 16, 2025 | Personal Injury
Neck pain after an accident can feel like simple soreness at first. But if it sticks around or worsens, it could be more serious. Herniated discs at C4/C5 or C5/C6 happen more often than people realize. These injuries can turn into long-term problems that impact a person’s daily life.
Whether from a car crash, a fall at work, or a sports accident, a sudden impact can push the spine out of place. That pressure causes the soft cushion between the vertebrae (the disc) to bulge or rupture. When that happens in the neck, especially in the C4 to C6 area, the results can change your life.
What Happens When a Disc Herniates at C4/C5 or C5/C6?
The C4/C5 and C5/C6 levels of the spine sit right in the middle of the neck. These discs support a lot of movement, making them vulnerable during high-force impacts. A herniated disc in this area can easily pinch nearby nerves and even press on the spinal cord itself.
Pain is usually the first sign, but it doesn’t stop there. A bulging disc in the neck’s C5/C6 area can also lead to numbness, tingling, and weakness that travels down the arm. Some people lose grip strength or feel their hand “fall asleep” often. Others struggle to turn their head or hold it up for long periods of time.
Disc Herniation Symptoms to Watch Out For
Not all herniated discs feel the same from one person to another. Some people are immediately hit hard, while for others it creeps in slowly and worsens over time. The C5/C6 area is especially tricky because it controls the nerves that go into the shoulders, arms, and hands.
Symptoms often include:
- Sharp or burning pain in the neck
- Weakness in the biceps or wrists
- Numbness or tingling that travels down the arm
- Pain that gets worse when turning the head or looking up
Sometimes, there’s also a sense of instability or muscle fatigue, even if you haven’t been very active.
Symptoms of Spinal Cord Compression Can Be Serious
If a herniated disc presses directly on the spinal cord, the symptoms typically go beyond pain and numbness. People might experience problems with coordination, balance, or walking. These are signs of spinal compression, and they’re a red flag that something more serious is going on than just a little bit of pain.
Symptoms can also involve bladder or bowel control changes, increased reflexes, and muscle stiffness. These symptoms indicate that the spine is under too much pressure and needs immediate attention.
Understanding the Long-Term Effects
The long-term effects of herniated discs at C4/C5 or C5/C6 vary depending on the severity. Some people can recover with some rest and physical therapy. Others face chronic pain, limited mobility, or nerve damage that doesn’t heal.
If surgery is needed, recovery can take months, and there’s always the risk of re-injury. In severe cases, ongoing medical care, rehab, and lifestyle changes become necessary just to maintain basic function.
What This Means for Your Health and Your Case
Neck disc injuries can be easy to overlook in the moment, especially when adrenaline is masking the pain, but their impact can show up weeks or months after the accident. That delay often complicates legal claims because the injury isn’t always immediately visible in exams or scans.
Insurance companies often argue that the pain is from aging or pre-existing issues. However, a herniated disc caused by trauma has a specific pattern, and doctors can tell the difference. Documenting the symptoms early and connecting them to the accident is critical in these cases.
Back injuries are no joke, especially ones involving herniated discs at C4/C5 or C5/C6. If you or a loved one is experiencing one of these injuries after an accident, call our Lafayette personal injury lawyers at Kenny Habetz Injury Law for a free consultation. You could be entitled to compensation for your pain.
Contact the Louisiana Personal Injury Law Firm Of Kenny Habetz Injury Law for Help Today
If you’ve been injured in Louisiana, please call Kenny Habetz Injury Law for a free case evaluation with a Louisiana personal injury lawyer or contact us online. We have offices in Lafayette and Crowley, LA.
Kenny Habetz Injury Law – Lafayette
110 E Kaliste Saloom Rd Ste 101 Lafayette, LA 70508
(337) 399-9000
Kenny Habetz Injury Law – Crowley
604 S Parkerson Ave. Crowley, LA 70526
(337) 329-8883
