Neck Pain and Pins & Needles? It Could Be Cervical Radiculopathy

Have you noticed neck pain that travels into your shoulder or arm, or perhaps tingling, pins and needles or numbness in your hand? One possible cause is cervical radiculopathy, sometimes described as a pinched or irritated nerve in the neck.

While the name can sound intimidating, cervical radiculopathy is a relatively common condition and many people improve with time, appropriate exercise and physiotherapy treatment.

At Lifecare Northern Sports Physiotherapy Clinic, our physiotherapists can assess your neck and arm symptoms, determine what may be contributing to them and create an individualised treatment plan to help you get back to moving comfortably and confidently.

What is Cervical Radiculopathy?

Your cervical spine consists of seven vertebrae in your neck. Nerves exit between these vertebrae and travel into your shoulders, arms and hands.

Cervical radiculopathy occurs when one of these nerve roots becomes irritated or compressed. This can happen due to changes around the joints or discs in your neck, including a disc bulge or age-related changes that reduce the available space around a nerve.

You may hear cervical radiculopathy referred to as a “pinched nerve” in the neck, although irritation or sensitivity of the nerve can occur without it necessarily being severely compressed.

What Are the Symptoms of Cervical Radiculopathy?

Symptoms vary between people and can range from mild and intermittent to more persistent. Common symptoms include:

·  Neck pain or stiffness

·  Pain or aching into the shoulder, arm or hand

·  Pins and needles or tingling in the arm or fingers

·  Areas of altered sensation or numbness

·  A feeling of weakness or heaviness in the arm

·  Symptoms that change with certain neck or arm positions

For some people, the arm symptoms may actually be more noticeable than their neck pain.

Is It Cervical Radiculopathy or Something Else?

Experiencing arm pain, tingling or pins and needles does not automatically mean you have cervical radiculopathy. Several other conditions can cause similar symptoms.

Possible differential diagnoses include muscular or joint-related neck pain, referred pain from the cervical or upper thoracic spine, rotator cuff-related shoulder pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and irritation of peripheral nerves elsewhere in the arm.

A physiotherapy assessment can help distinguish between these conditions. Your physiotherapist may assess your neck and shoulder movement, strength, sensation, reflexes and upper-limb function alongside specific clinical tests.

This allows treatment to focus on the likely source of your symptoms rather than simply treating where you feel the pain.

Can Physiotherapy Help Cervical Radiculopathy?

For many people, physiotherapy can form an important part of conservative management for cervical radiculopathy.

Treatment at Lifecare Northern Sports Physiotherapy Clinic is tailored to your individual symptoms, activities and goals. Your physiotherapy program may include:

·  Education and advice about managing your symptoms

·  Neck and upper-back mobility exercises

·  Progressive neck, shoulder and upper-limb strengthening

·  Nerve mobility exercises where appropriate

·  Manual therapy

·  Advice about work, posture, sleep, gym training and sport

·  A gradual return to your usual activities

The aim is not simply to reduce symptoms but to help you regain movement, strength and confidence.

Do I Need a Scan for Cervical Radiculopathy?

Not always. Many neck and arm presentations can initially be assessed using your symptoms and a thorough physical examination.

It is also common for imaging to show changes in the neck that are not necessarily responsible for pain. If your physiotherapist identifies signs that further investigation or medical assessment may be beneficial, they can discuss the appropriate next steps with you.

Neck or Arm Pain? Let’s Get You Moving Again

Neck pain, arm discomfort or pins and needles can be frustrating, but they don’t necessarily mean you need to stop exercising, working or doing the activities you enjoy.

At Lifecare Northern Sports Physiotherapy Clinic, our physiotherapists can help identify what may be contributing to your symptoms and develop a practical treatment plan tailored to you.

No referral is required. Book an appointment with Lifecare Northern Sports Physiotherapy Clinic today and take the first step towards getting your neck and arm feeling more comfortable again.

Physiotherapist 

Phoebe Walker