A pinched nerve in the neck causing radiating pain, numbness, or weakness into the arm. Learn how Mr. Rath diagnoses and treats cervical radiculopathy.
Cervical radiculopathy results from compression or irritation of a nerve root as it exits the spinal canal in the neck. The most common causes are a soft disc herniation (more common in younger patients) or a bony osteophyte narrowing the foramen (more common in older patients). The affected nerve root determines the exact pattern of arm pain, numbness, and weakness — a C6 compression, for instance, causes symptoms along the thumb and index finger.
The majority of cervical radiculopathy cases resolve within three months. Conservative management — physiotherapy, anti-inflammatories, and activity modification — is appropriate first-line care. A nerve root block can reduce inflammation around the nerve root and accelerate recovery. Surgery becomes necessary when the pain is unremitting, neurological deficits progress, or conservative measures have been exhausted.
Where surgery is indicated, Mr. Rath typically performs an endoscopic posterior cervical foraminotomy — a keyhole procedure through the back of the neck that decompresses the nerve without disturbing the disc. ACDF remains the preferred approach when the disc itself is significantly degenerated or when multi-level compression is present.
The distribution of symptoms matters: true cervical radiculopathy follows a dermatomal pattern from the neck into specific fingers, whereas shoulder pathology is usually more localised. A careful examination — and sometimes a nerve block — resolves the distinction.
Many cases settle within 8–12 weeks with targeted physiotherapy and, where needed, a nerve root block. Surgery is offered when symptoms persist beyond this window, when there is progressive neurological weakness, or when the patient's quality of life is significantly impaired.
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