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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.

Related reading: age-related narrowing in the neck and desk posture that keeps loading the lower neck.

What causes it

  • 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 you might notice

  • 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

How we treat 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

This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Symptoms overlap between conditions, so the right treatment depends on an assessment. If your pain followed a significant injury, is getting worse, or comes with numbness, weakness or unexplained weight loss, please see your GP.

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.

Book a nerve assessment Ask a question first

Or call us on 0403 907 587 — we see patients across Seaton.

Other neck conditions we treat

Cervical Osteoarthritis Whiplash Cervicogenic Headache Wry Neck Postural Neck Pain

Back to all neck conditions