Neck Nerve

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Cervical radiculopathy is the irritation or pinching of a nerve in the neck that causes pain and numbness in the hand, arm and shoulder. Typically one of the first symptoms of a pinched neck nerve is pain and muscle stiffness in the neck area this often occurs before pain, weakness or numbness in the shoulder or arm.

There are a number of causes for this condition, most of which relate to wear and tear, aging or injury to the vertebrae and discs in the neck. The most common cause for cervical radiculopathy is simply age, as this condition typically appears when people are in their 40s or 50s, when it does occur in younger individuals it is normally because of an injury.

As people age the discs in their spine tend to wear down and bones spurs will form as a result of arthritis. When this happens the vertebrae will compress down of the discs which are essentially the cushions between each vertebra and are what keeps the spaces clear for the nerves to exit the spine and travel to the shoulders and arm. When a neck nerve becomes pinched in this case it is because the spaces from which they exit the spine have become obstructed or reduced in size.

Injury can also cause cervical radiculopathy in a few different ways; injuries can cause the vertebrae to become misaligned and placing pressure on the nerve. This is often seen in car accidents, falls, and in any injury where undue force has caused the neck to be jerked or moved in an unnatural way. Sometimes even normal work and activities can cause a disc to misalign if the activity is done repetitively or the neck moves in just the wrong way or you are lifting heavy items improperly.

Discs may become herniated for the same reason which will also cause the vertebrae to misalign and cause a neck nerve to pinch. When a disc becomes herniated it is either pushed out of place or sometimes the wall of the disc becomes weakened because of wear and tear, and then bulges out at that point. When this happens the disc becomes thinned out at the spot where the neck nerve exits the spine, causing the opening there to become smaller and the nerve to become pinched.

What treatment you get for cervical radiculopathy will depend greatly on the amount of damage to the vertebrae and disc, and the type of doctor you see.  A chiropractor will attempt to treat your condition or injury by realigning the vertebrae and allowing the discs to repair or heal. An orthopedic doctor will attempt to fix the damage using medications, physical therapy and as a last resort surgery. Which you choose will be entirely up to you, both usually work and for most it is just a matter of personal preference.