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Author: Admin | 2025-04-28
Cervical RadiculopathyCervical radiculopathy is a condition caused by a pinched nerve in your neck. It happens when your cervical spinal cord or nerve roots arising from it become compressed by the cervical vertebrae. Your cervical spine, or neck, is formed by seven small vertebrae that begin at the base of your skull, which is the area affected by cervical radiculopathy.The nerves that run through your cervical spine send messages between your muscles and brain. The roots of these nerves branch out through openings in your vertebrae called foramen. Damage to these nerve roots can cause pain and loss of sensation along the nerve's pathway into your arm and hand, depending on where the damage occurs.Often, cervical radiculopathy gets better on its own without treatment. If yours doesn't, there are nonsurgical and surgical treatments that can help.Anything that puts pressure on the nerve roots can damage them. The most common causes are: Degenerative changes. In middle-aged people, normal degenerative changes in the disks can cause pressure on nerve roots. Cervical foraminal stenosis, for example, happens when these changes narrow the openings in your vertebrae, which causes them to pinch nerve roots. Herniated disk. A herniated disk happens when the soft, gel-like center of a spinal disk pushes through a tear in the tough outer layer, putting pressure on nerves and causing pain. Disks usually herniate with activity, such as when you bend, lift, twist, or pull. Injury. In younger people, cervical radiculopathy often results from a ruptured disk, typically due to trauma. Less common causes of cervical radiculopathyLess often, cervical radiculopathy is caused by:Infections in the spineTumors in the spine caused by cancerBenign, or noncancerous, growths in the spineSarcoidosis, the growth of inflammatory cellsThe main symptom of cervical radiculopathy is pain that spreads into the arm, neck, chest, upper back, and/or shoulders. Often, this affects just one side of your body.You may also experience:Sensory issues, such as numbness or tingling in fingers or handsMotor problems, such as muscle weakness, lack of coordination, or the loss of reflexes in your arms or legsTo make a diagnosis of cervical radiculopathy, your doctor will first ask you to describe all your symptoms and review your medical history. They will also do a physical exam.The exam will involve checking your neck, shoulders, arms, and hands for muscle weakness and problems with sensation or reflexes. Your doctor may ask you to move your arms or neck
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