Cervical Radiculopathy

    If you step on a dog’s tail, from which end does it bark? 

    Odd question, isn’t it?  What does the answer have to do with cervical radiculopathy or neck pain? 
 
    Quite a bit.  Allow me to explain: Imagine your neck is the “dog’s tail” and your hand is the other end, the dog’s mouth (the end that barks).  If you “step” on the neck, your hand can “bark.”

    What I mean by this is that compression or “pinching” of the roots of the nerves in your neck can cause your hand to hurt.  In fact, cervical spinal nerve root compression (“pinched” nerve in your neck) can cause pain in your shoulder, arm, wrist or hand.  Nerve root compression in your neck can not only cause pain anywhere from the neck down to the hand, but it can also cause numbness, weakness or “pins and needles” or other strange tingling sensations.  These are called paresthesias.

    These type problems are examples of radiculopathy.  Another term for the same is “neuropathy.”  Neuropathy or radiculopathy is not a specific disease or condition.  It’s more of a description of problems related to malfunctioning nerves coming out of the spine.  The spinal cord branches off out of the spine as spinal nerves.  The nerves go from the spinal cord, through the shoulder, down the arm, to the hand.  These nerves carry brain messages along this pathway.  If the nerve is affected anywhere along this pathway, many symptoms can occur.

    Radiculopathy can occur in the lumbar spine too (lower back).  In this case it often produces sciatic pain, or sciatica.  This is pain that goes down the leg, sometimes to the foot.  The same numbness, weakness, tingling, etc. can occur with lumbar radiculopathy.

    Common Causes of Radiculopathy

    Bulging or herniated disc: spinal disc material can bulge or protrude.  This can put pressure on the nerve roots that exit the neck or back.  Pains that shoot down the arm or leg can result.

    Spinal Stenosis: This is the narrowing of the passageways of the spinal cord or the nerve roots.  Stenosis can be caused by changes in the bone, disc material, or ligaments.  This can cause radiculopathy too.

   Click HERE for details about Spinal Stenosis

    Degenerative disc disease: If a spinal disc shrinks, so does can the space where the nerves exit the spine.  Degenerative disc disease may include growth of bone spurs.  A bone spur could “pinch” or compress nerve tissue and cause radiculopathy.

    How is radiculopathy treated? 

    Medication is commonly used for pain, muscle spasm and inflammation.   Some doctors recommend cervical collars or special pillows as support devices.  Others offer epidural steroid injections, sometimes known as nerve blocks.      If radiculopathy does not improve with non-invasive treatment, surgery may be necessary.  If a patient has loss of bowel or bladder function, it may be a surgical emergency.  Surgery could be necessary if excruciating pain doesn’t improve by through other treatments.  Severe, progressive weakness can be a good reason also.

    Cervical Fusion Surgery

    This is a common operation.  In my opinion, way too common.  I state this because I have treated way too many failed cervical fusion patients.  And I’ve been able to help a high percentage of them through non-invasive means.  

    Non-invasive and Drugless Treatments

    In my practice I do not use medications or surgery.  I use a variety of drugless, non-surgical technologies and methods.  I am quite proud of my success rate treating patients with cervical and lumbar radiculopathy.