[Cervical disc herniation--diagnosis and treatment].

A cervical disc herniation (CDH) is a frequently encountered pathology in primary care medicine. It may give rise to a compression of a nerve root (a radiculopathy, with or without sensory-motor deficit) or of the spinal cord (myelopathy). The majority of CDHs can be supported by means of a conservative treatment. When a radiculopathy is found and a clinico-radiological correlation is present, a moderate neurological deficit appears suddenly, or if it is progressive under conservative treatment or if pain is poorly controlled by well-conducted conservative treatment performed during 6 to 8 months, surgery is then recommended. A symptomatic cervical myelopathy is, by itself, an indication for a surgical treatment.