Neck & Head
Cervical Radiculopathy
Also called: Pinched nerve in the neck
Irritation or compression of a nerve root as it exits the neck — usually from a disc herniation or arthritic narrowing of the exit canal. The hallmark is symptoms that follow a specific path down the arm, matching the nerve involved.
Common signs
- Shooting, electric, or burning pain from neck into the arm
- Numbness/tingling in a specific finger pattern
- Weakness in specific arm muscles
- Symptoms reproduced by tilting the head back toward the painful side
Seek help now if
- Rapidly progressing weakness
- Both arms involved, or legs affected
- Loss of coordination, balance problems, or bladder changes
Any of these: call 911 or get to an emergency room first. Everything else can wait.
What to do first
- A precise exam maps which nerve root is involved — this drives everything else
- Positions that relieve the arm pain (often hand on head) are safe to use liberally
- Avoid extremes of looking up and to the painful side early on
- Most cases improve substantially within 4–6 weeks of appropriate care
If it's become chronic
- Persistent cases warrant MRI and possibly nerve conduction studies to grade the compression
- Long-standing radiculopathy responds to a combination of decompression strategies, nerve glides, and progressive strengthening
- Keep a symptom map over time — shrinking territory means healing
Natural healing options we use
- Chiropractic care including traction-based techniques
- Neural mobilization for the involved nerve
- PEMF and attended e-stim
- Anti-inflammatory nutrition (omega-3s, turmeric, adequate protein)
- Graded strengthening as symptoms centralize
About imaging
MRI when symptoms persist, weakness is present, or the exam and history don't match. Electrodiagnostics (EMG/NCS) help when the picture is unclear or multiple sites could be involved.
Daily self-care
- Use the position of relief often (typically hand on head)
- Nerve glides as instructed — gentle, never into sharp pain
- Watch grip strength weekly; report any decline promptly
How we can help
More in Neck & Head
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Please read: this page is education, not a diagnosis. A proper examination is how a condition gets confirmed and a plan gets built. See our medical disclaimer.