What is it?
Cervical radiculopathy is dysfunction that occurs at the nerve roots in the neck from compression, irritation or damage of the nerve roots. Cervical radiculopathy can typically produce radiating pain into your neck, shoulder, upper back and into your arm alongside numbness, sensory deficits, or motor dysfunction in the neck and arms.
Symptoms:
– pain in neck or radiating in arm (can be sharp or dull achy pain)
– pins and needles, numbness or tingling in neck or into arms
– reduced neck movement
– muscle or arm weakness
Causes:
Cervical radiculopathy can be caused from a variety of reasons such as:
– aging (CR is more common in people aged over 50 years)
– poor sitting posture – incorrect lifting technique
– neck trauma
– poor sleep posture
Conservative Management:
Treatment is very important for management of cervical radiculopathy; without treatment the condition can worsen. Treatment for radiculopathy can include exercise programs focusing on pain management, range of movement and strength, nerve mobilisations, massage therapy and manual therapy. In addition, management of cervical radiculopathy requires adjustments to lifestyle factors such as posture and hence education regarding the condition and prevention is also a key part of the treatment plan. Treatment of this condition widely depends on examination of the condition and symptoms hence it is determined by the therapist upon assessment to ensure that tailored treatment plans are formulated to support the patient’s goal.
References:
Effectiveness of manual physical therapy in the treatment of cervical radiculopathy: a systematic review – PMC
Manual Therapy as a Management of Cervical Radiculopathy: A Systematic Review – PMC
