Understanding Cervical Radiculopathy: Causes, Symptoms, and Management

What is it?

Cervical radiculopathy, also known as pinched nerve, is the damage or a change in the way a nerve works resulting from one of the nerve roots near the cervical vertebrae being compressed. Seven small vertebrae comprise your cervical spine. This is the area in which cervical radiculopathy occurs. The most common causes to cervical radiculopathy are degenerative changes and neck trauma.

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Signs & symptoms

Cervical radiculopathy symptoms include:
- Pain that spreads into the arm, neck, chest, upper back, or shoulders, usually in on side of the body.
- Sensory issues - numbness or tingling
- Motor problems - muscle weakness, lack of coordination, or loss of reflexes

Diagnosis

To make a diagnosis of cervical radiculopathy, your healthcare provider will ask you about your symptoms, medical history and health condition. He or she will conduct a physical examination to spot muscle weakness or sensory issues. Then, based on your findings you may referred to further imaging tests, including: X-ray, CT and MRI scans, or electromyography.

Treatment

Treatment options are divided to surgical or non-surgical treatments.
- Non-surgical - including physical therapy with or without medications, such as steroids or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). In mild cases, your doctor may choose this kind of treatments.
- Surgery - in case a significant compression on the nerve exists to the extent that motor weakness results, surgery may be necessary to relieve the pressure.

☝️ This is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making any medical decision.

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Source of Information - We analyze big data of more than 23 million patients de-identified medical records from the following sources:

National Institution of Health ∙ World Health Organization ∙ University of Illinois hospital