You’re in pain, but it’s a pain like you’ve never felt before. This pain starts in your neck. It then seems to move down through the shoulder and into the arm, and you may have also noticed an unexplained numbness in your hand. If you’re dealing with this specific set of symptoms in Saint Peters, Missouri, you could have a condition called cervical radiculopathy.
What is cervical radiculopathy?
Some people may recognize the word “cervical” as having something to do with the neck. However, the word “radiculopathy” may not be recognizable at all. This word is defined as a compression of a nerve root. By putting these two words together, you get the medical term for a pinched nerve in the neck.
What are the symptoms of cervical radiculopathy?
Pinched neck nerves can cause several noticeable symptoms. The most notable symptom of this condition is pain that radiates from the neck into the shoulder and arm, and this pain is often described as either burning or sharp. In many ways, the pain of a pinched neck nerve is similar to sciatica pain. Another common symptom of cervical radiculopathy is numbness in the area served by the pinched nerve. People dealing with this condition typically feel this numbness in the neck, shoulder and arm, but it’s also common to feel numbness in the hand when you have pinched neck nerve.
What can cause cervical radiculopathy?
There are two issues that can lead to cervical radiculopathy. The first of these issues is a herniated neck disc. A herniated disc is when a disc between two vertebrae gets a tear in its outer shell. This tear allows the inner material of the disc to poke out or herniate, and the herniated material can rub against or pinch a nerve in the neck. In some cases, herniated discs are the result of car accident injuries like whiplash. However, they can also be a type of sports injury caused by high-impact sports like football or rugby.
The second issue that can cause cervical radiculopathy is vertebrae degeneration. This is when the bone of one or more cervical vertebrae becomes rough and starts to break down. Typically, this process is part of the natural wear and tear your body undergoes, but it can also be related to neck injuries. Bone spurs are one of the issues caused by neck vertebrae degeneration, and they can irritate or pinch a neck nerve.
Get help with cervical radiculopathy at Excel Sports & Physical Therapy in Saint Peters, MO
You should seek help if you’re feeling pain in your neck, shoulder or arm with hand numbness caused by cervical radiculopathy. One place you can find the help you need is at Excel Sports & Physical Therapy’s clinic in Saint Peters. We offer free screenings, which can be used to confirm the source of your symptoms. Our team can also build you a personalized treatment plan designed to tackle the symptoms and their root cause. We have many beneficial therapy techniques at our disposal, and some of these techniques include:
- Manual therapy
- Therapeutic exercises
- Ergonomic recommendations
- Astym® therapy
- McKenzie Method®
Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment to start treating your cervical radiculopathy.
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