What Is Cervical Radiculopathy (Pinched Nerve)? Symptoms and Treatments

Neck pain is common, but when it radiates down your arm or causes a “pins and needles” sensation in your fingers, it becomes a more serious concern. You might feel a sharp, electric-shock sensation that keeps you awake at night or notice that your hand feels weaker than usual when gripping a coffee cup. These are not just signs of a stiff neck; they are the classic symptoms of cervical radiculopathy.

Cervical radiculopathy, often called a pinched nerve, occurs when a nerve root in the cervical spine becomes compressed or chemically irritated. This compression disrupts the signals traveling from your spinal cord to your body, causing pain, numbness, or weakness that radiates from the neck into the shoulder, arm, or hand. While the symptoms can be intense and frightening, the condition is highly treatable and rarely requires major surgery.

At Novus Spine & Pain Center, we focus on identifying the precise cause of your nerve pain to provide lasting relief. Our goal is to help you return to your normal life using advanced, non-surgical therapies whenever possible. To understand the bigger picture of your condition, we encourage you to explore our guide to navigating neck pain.

In This Article

Key Takeaways

• It’s Not Just Neck Pain: Cervical radiculopathy is characterized by pain, numbness, or weakness that radiates down the arm, not just neck pain.
• Common Causes: The most frequent triggers are herniated discs, leaking gel onto the nerve, or bone spurs from arthritis narrowing the nerve’s exit path.
• Specific Symptoms: The location of your pain (thumb vs. pinky finger) gives the doctor strong clues about which spinal nerve is pinched.
• Non-Surgical Focus: Most patients find relief through physical therapy, medications, or targeted injections like epidurals without ever needing surgery.
• Red Flags: Immediate medical attention is needed if you experience loss of bowel/bladder control, sudden clumsiness in your hands, or profound weakness in your legs.

What Is Cervical Radiculopathy?

To understand how a nerve gets pinched, it helps to visualize the architecture of your spine. Your cervical spine consists of seven vertebrae stacked on top of each other, separated by shock-absorbing discs. Between these vertebrae are small bony tunnels called neural foramina, which serve as exits for the nerve roots traveling from your spinal cord to your shoulders and arms.

When these tunnels narrow or a disc bulges into them, the nerve root inside can become trapped or inflamed. It is important to distinguish this condition from “axial” neck pain, which stays localized in the neck muscles or joints. Radiculopathy is distinct because it involves “traveling” pain that follows the path of the affected nerve. This is why you might feel pain in your hand even though the problem is actually in your neck.

Symptoms of a Pinched Nerve in the Neck

The symptoms of cervical radiculopathy are often distinct and follow a specific pattern based on which nerve is compressed. Patients frequently describe sensory changes, such as a burning sensation or a feeling like “pins and needles” (paresthesia) that runs down the arm. Motor symptoms are also common, including muscle weakness or hand coordination problems.

Some patients discover a unique way to find relief known as “Bakody’s sign.” This involves resting the hand of the painful arm on top of the head. This position decreases tension on the nerve root and momentarily alleviates the pain. If you find yourself instinctively doing this, it is a supportive finding that suggests a pinched nerve.

Symptoms by Spinal Level

The location of your symptoms can often help your doctor identify which nerve is likely affected. Because each nerve root serves a specific area of the body (known as a dermatome), the pain pattern serves as a diagnostic map.

• C5 Nerve Root: Compression here typically causes pain and weakness in the shoulder, specifically the deltoid muscle. You might find it difficult to lift your arm to the side.
• C6 Nerve Root: This is one of the most common levels for a pinched nerve. Symptoms often include pain or numbness radiating into the thumb and index finger.
• C7 Nerve Root: A pinched nerve at this level usually affects the middle finger. It may also cause weakness in the triceps muscle, making it hard to straighten your elbow.
• C8 Nerve Root: Compression here affects the lower cervical spine. It typically causes hand dysfunction and pain or numbness in the pinky finger.

Common Causes of Cervical Radiculopathy

Several factors can narrow the space around a nerve root, leading to compression and pain. While some causes are acute and sudden, others develop slowly over years of natural wear and tear. Understanding the underlying cause is the first step toward selecting the right treatment plan.

Cervical Disc Herniation

One of the most frequent causes of a pinched nerve is a herniated disc. The discs in your spine function like jelly donuts, with a tough outer layer and a soft, gel-like center. If the outer layer tears, the inner gel can leak out and press directly against a nearby nerve root. This not only causes mechanical pressure but also introduces chemical irritation that inflames the nerve.

Cervical Spinal Stenosis

As we age, our spines undergo degenerative changes that can lead to cervical spinal stenosis. The body may produce extra bone, known as bone spurs or osteophytes, to stabilize a worn joint. Unfortunately, these bone spurs can intrude into the neural foramina. This narrows the nerve root’s exit path, slowly “choking” it over time.

Injury and Trauma

Sudden injuries can also precipitate nerve compression. A car accident, causing whiplash or a sports collision, can shift the structures of the cervical spine. This trauma may cause a disc to herniate suddenly or incite inflammation that swells the tissues around the nerve root.

How Is It Diagnosed?

Diagnosing cervical radiculopathy begins with a thorough physical examination and a review of your medical history. Your doctor will test your reflexes, muscle strength, and sensation in specific areas of your arm and hand. They may also perform a Spurling’s test, where they gently turn your head and apply slight downward pressure to see if it reproduces your symptoms.

To confirm the diagnosis and pinpoint the exact location of the compression, medical imaging is usually required. An X-ray can reveal bone spurs or disc space narrowing. However, an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is often the gold standard because it provides a clear view of the soft tissues, showing exactly where a disc or ligament might be pressing on a nerve.

Treatments for Cervical Radiculopathy at Novus Spine & Pain Center

We believe in a multimodal approach to treating nerve pain, prioritizing the least invasive options that yield the best results. Many patients fear that a pinched nerve inevitably leads to surgery, but the reality is that non-surgical interventions are highly effective for the vast majority of cases. By reducing inflammation and calming the nerve, we can often resolve the pain without the need for fusion or disc replacement.

Conservative Care and Medication

The first line of defense often involves conservative measures to calm the initial flare-up. This may include a short course of oral corticosteroids or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to reduce swelling. Physical therapy is also crucial, using traction and specific exercises to strengthen neck muscles and open the spaces where nerves exit.

Cervical Epidural Steroid Injections

When oral medications and therapy are not enough, epidural steroid injections can be a powerful solution. This procedure involves delivering a potent anti-inflammatory medication directly into the epidural space surrounding the spinal cord and nerve roots. By reducing inflammation and swelling around the irritated nerve, this treatment can break the pain cycle. This relief often allows you to participate more fully in physical therapy and daily activities.

Selective Nerve Root Blocks

For patients with complex pain or unclear MRI findings, a selective nerve root block serves a dual purpose. This precise injection targets a specific nerve root suspected of generating the pain. It acts as a treatment by delivering medication, but it also serves as a diagnostic tool. If the injection provides immediate relief, it confirms exactly which nerve is the culprit.

Radiofrequency Ablation

In some cases, neck pain originates from the facet joints (arthritis) rather than nerve root compression, though the two conditions can coexist. Radiofrequency ablation targets the small medial branch nerves that supply these joints. If your pain is determined to be facet-mediated, this procedure uses heat energy to interrupt pain signals, providing relief for chronic neck pain that may be complicating your condition.

Spinal Cord Stimulation

For select cases of complex, chronic neuropathic pain where other treatments—and sometimes even prior surgeries—have not provided relief, spinal cord stimulation may be considered. This advanced therapy uses a small device to deliver mild electrical pulses to the spinal cord. These pulses mask the pain signals before they reach the brain, replacing the sensation of pain with a soothing feeling.

When Is Cervical Radiculopathy an Emergency?

While most cases of a pinched nerve are not emergencies, certain symptoms indicate severe compression of the spinal cord (myelopathy) that requires immediate medical attention. If the spinal cord itself is being compressed, permanent damage can occur without rapid intervention. You should seek immediate care if you experience any of the following “red flags”:

• Loss of Bowel or Bladder Control: Inability to retain urine or stool, or new difficulty urinating.
• Profound Weakness: Sudden inability to lift your arm or a dragging leg (gait disturbance).
• Loss of Coordination: New clumsiness in your hands, such as frequently dropping objects or difficulty fastening buttons.
• Severe Balance Issues: Difficulty walking or frequent stumbling.

FAQs

Conclusion

Living with the shooting pain and numbness of a pinched nerve can be exhausting, but it does not have to be permanent. Cervical radiculopathy is a mechanical problem that often responds well to treatment. You do not have to “wait it out” or live in fear of surgery.

At Novus Spine & Pain Center, our dedicated team is committed to guiding you through every step of your recovery. We use advanced diagnostics and targeted, non-surgical therapies to help you regain comfort and function. If you are experiencing the symptoms of a pinched nerve, contact us today to schedule a consultation and start your journey toward relief.

Novus Spine & Pain Center

Dr. Torres established Novus Spine & Pain Center in Lakeland, Florida, with a goal of providing the highest quality pain management care to every patient. Whether pain is the result of an injury or from another condition, Dr. Torres offers many different treatment options.

Novus Spine & Pain Center utilizes a comprehensive approach and cutting-edge therapies to restore normal function and allow patients to regain an active lifestyle while minimizing the need for opiates. As our patient, you are our top priority. Our goal is to help you achieve the best possible quality of life.

Our Mission Statement: To provide the best quality of life to people suffering from pain, by providing state of the art treatments, knowledge and skill, compassion, and respect for all.

To schedule an appointment, please contact us online, request a call back, or call our office at 863-583-4445.

Trusted Resources

• Navigating Neck Pain: A Patient’s Complete Guide to the Cervical Spine (Novus Spine & Pain Center)
• Treatments for Neck Pain (Novus Spine & Pain Center)
• Cervical Radiculopathy – Pinched Nerve (Mayo Clinic)
• Cervical Radiculopathy: Symptoms & Causes (Cleveland Clinic)
• Cervical Radiculopathy – Pinched Nerve (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)