By Rebekah Kearn
LOS ANGELES (CN) – Blue Shield of California refuses to cover artificial cervical disc replacement, calling it “investigational,” though the surgery has been done thousands of times, a patient claims in a federal class action.
Cervical discs are the six spinal vertebrae in the neck. Filled with a shock-absorbent gel-like substance, they help stabilize the neck and enable it to turn and bend smoothly.
As people age, the gel can deteriorate and cause nerve roots to get pinched between the vertebrae, leading to degenerative disc disease, which can occur in any or all of the 23 spinal vertebrae. Cervical disc disease causes a slew of symptoms, including neck pain and stiffness, numbness, and weakness in the shoulders, hands and arms.
