Simple neck and back pain can actually be debilitating to everyday life. And with so many bones, tendons, and other structures that make up the spine, there's plenty that could go wrong unfortunately.

One of the more vitally important and mechanically astounding skeletal structures is the cervical disc, which allows for a large range of motion between the vertebrae in the neck, all the while absorbing large amounts of compression from regular movement.

When conditions affecting these areas of the body get to the point that they require surgery, it’s important to consider all available options because the results could affect the rest of your life.

So what options do you have when it comes to treating cervical disc problems? The two most common procedures are spinal fusion and artificial cervical disc replacement.

During a disc replacement, a cervical spine surgeon inserts an artificial disc device between two vertebrae. Spinal fusion, which involves back surgeons joining particular bones in the neck to provide more support, can be helpful to an extent, but can seriously inhibit motion in the future.

So what benefits can you expect to receive from a disc replacement rather than fusion? Here are the top four theoretical advantages this operation offers:

Normal movement: Because artificial disc replacements do not involve the fusion or alteration of any natural bone structure, it is able to preserve and maintain normal neck motion far better than spinal fusion.

Quicker recovery: As the bones heal after a fusion procedure, there is a long recovery period before a patient can regain any relative neck movement. Disc replacement, on the other hand, will leave all vertebrae intact, allowing for earlier postoperative neck motion.