Cervical Radiculopathy and How Chiropractic Care Can Help

Cervical radiculopathy affects 83 out of every 100,000 people in the United States, with the majority of cases occurring in individuals aged 45 to 64. This nerve root dysfunction occurs in the cervical spinal column, but it can send unpleasant or disabling neurological symptoms down through the shoulder, arm, and hand.

If you believe that you suffer from cervical radiculopathy, you should know that chiropractic adjustment and other conservative treatment methods can often alleviate the problem, making surgery unnecessary except as a last resort. Take a look at how this problem can affect you and what you can do about it.

How Cervical Radiculopathy Affects Function and Comfort

Medical practitioners describe dysfunction of a spinal nerve root as radiculopathy. You can experience radiculopathy in your back or in your neck, depending on the location of the nerve root. 

Spinal nerve roots extend directly from the spinal cord to the body's major nerves, which in turn branch out into the many smaller nerves that conduct signals to various parts of the body. The cervical nerve roots route all nerve signals between the spinal cord and the upper extremities.

When a cervical nerve root becomes pinched or injured, it cannot send and receive nerve signals normally. This disruption in communication can affect the comfort and function of any (or all) nerves served by the impinged nerve root. As a result, you may experience symptoms in a shoulder, arm, hand, or fingers.

Cervical radiculopathy symptoms usually affect only one extremity at a time, with a nerve root on one side of the cervical spine or the other suffering from impingement. Symptoms include pain, loss of feeling, tingling sensations, and loss of muscle strength or coordination.

Why Cervical Radiculopathy Develops

Nerve roots thread their way through small spaces between the spinal vertebrae. This arrangement makes them vulnerable to compression from neighboring structures. Acute injuries that push these structures out of position (or cause discs to herniate) can pinch cervical nerve roots.

You don't have to experience an injury to develop cervical radiculopathy. Herniated, ruptured, or bulging discs can occur in conjunction with age-related degenerative changes in the spine. Arthritis, bone spurs, and longstanding alignment problems in the cervical spine can also pinch nerve roots.

Not all upper extremity symptoms occur due to cervical radiculopathy. For instance, crushed nerves in the arm or overuse injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome can cause hand or finger problems.

What Chiropractors Can Do About Cervical Radiculopathy

The first step in seeking help for your cervical radiculopathy symptoms involves getting an accurate diagnosis. Chiropractors achieve this through detailed examinations of your neck, symptoms, lifestyle, age, medical history, and other relevant risk factors. This information helps to reveal exactly which nerve root needs treatment.

Gentle, subtle chiropractic adjustments to the cervical spine can ease cervical radiculopathy symptoms by treating their underlying cause. For example, adjustments that improve your neck alignment can shift bones or herniated discs away from nerve tissue, restoring the normal flow of nerve signals.

Your chiropractor may enhance the effectiveness of your chiropractic adjustment sessions with other nonsurgical treatment techniques. For example, you may benefit from physical therapy exercises to rebuild weakened muscles or improve your posture. Cervical traction may also help you overcome spinal disc and joint problems.

Once you have your cervical radiculopathy under control, your chiropractor can offer helpful tips for avoiding future episodes. Your preventative wellness plan might include ongoing exercises, ergonomic changes to promote a healthier posture, and periodic chiropractic exams to catch and correct any early-stage spinal imbalances.

Corner Chiropractic Center can discover the cause of your cervical radiculopathy symptoms and prescribe the right of therapies to help your upper extremities regain normal function. Contact us to request an evaluation.