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Cervical Radiculopathy
Cervical radiculopathy is what happens when a nerve root in the neck is compressed or irritated, most often by a disc bulge or age-related narrowing of the space it travels through. The neck itself may ache only mildly — what usually brings people in is the arm. The large majority settle with conservative treatment, and surgery is rarely the first answer.
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Does this sound like you?
Most people have several of these, not all of them.
- Sharp, burning or electric pain running from the neck into the shoulder blade, arm or hand
- Pins and needles or numbness in a distinct band rather than the whole arm
- Weakness in one specific movement — gripping, or lifting the arm out to the side
- Relief when the hand is rested on top of the head, which is characteristic
- Symptoms worse when looking up or turning towards the painful side
Why it happens
- A disc bulge pressing on the nerve root as it leaves the spine
- Age-related narrowing of the opening the nerve passes through
- Sustained neck extension, such as overhead or ceiling work
- A sudden strain from lifting, twisting or a fall
- Long periods in a forward-head desk posture, which loads the lower neck
What we would do about it
Roughly in this order — each step waits for the one before it.
- Settling the nerve first, using positions and movements that take pressure off it
- Manual therapy to restore movement in the segments above and below
- Nerve gliding exercises, introduced once the arm is less irritable
- Deep neck flexor and shoulder blade strengthening to unload the segment
- Workstation and sleep changes, so the daily re-aggravation stops
- Onward referral for imaging or a specialist opinion if strength keeps dropping
See a doctor first if
- Your pain followed a significant injury
- It is getting worse rather than settling
- It comes with numbness, weakness or unexplained weight loss
This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Symptoms overlap between conditions, so the right treatment depends on an assessment.
Arm symptoms are worth getting looked at early
Pain, numbness or weakness travelling down the arm should be assessed properly rather than waited out — we can tell you which nerve is involved and how irritable it is. No referral needed. Ask a question first, or call us on 0403 907 587.
New patient? Choose Initial Consultation. Your assessment is free, and treatment is $49 when you book your second session, otherwise $98. Offer terms
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Read more about cervical radiculopathy
Other neck conditions we treat
Related reading: age-related narrowing in the neck and desk posture that keeps loading the lower neck.
General information only, not advice about your own problem — nothing here replaces an assessment. Source: Cervical Radiculopathy on Physiopedia.
