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Neck Pain That Travels to Your Arm? (Cervical Radiculopathy) Explained

Have you ever felt a sharp pain starting in your neck(neck pain)… then shooting down your shoulder, arm, or even into your fingers?

Or maybe it’s not pain but numbness, tingling (“pins and needles”), or weakness in your arm?

That’s not random your neck could be pressing on a nerve and this symptom(s) is what is referred to as cervical radiculopathy.

What Is Cervical Radiculopathy

Think of your neck as a highway of nerves these nerves exit your spine and travel into your shoulder, arms and hands that controls movement and sensation.

Now think of one of the nerves gets squeezed or irritated the pressure causes symptoms along the entire path of the nerve; from the neck, shoulder, arm and fingers.

Symptoms You Should Not Ignore

Cervical radiculopathy doesn’t always feel the same for everyone, most people do experience the following;

  1. Neck pain.
  2. Pain spreading to the shoulder or arm.
  3. Tingling or “pins and needles” in the hand.
  4. Numbness in fingers.
  5. Weak grip or arm weakness.

This symptoms usually affect one side; left or right but in more serious cases both sides can be involved.

What Causes Your Pain

The most common cause of symptoms as a result of cervical radiculopathy is as a result of a disc bulge or slip in the neck which is also a reason too for back pain that has symptoms radiating down the leg.

Another cause is wear and tear which is common as you age with the spine termed as cervical spondylosis affecting the neck and lumbar spondylosis affecting the back.

Spinal stenosis is also enjoined here as a cause of symptoms above. Spinal stenosis can be on the neck termed as cervical spinal stenosis and on the back as lumbar spinal stenosis.

What You Should Know

It does take too much pressure to irritate a nerve.

Even a very small pressure can reduce blood flow to the nerve, cause inflammation and trigger pain, tingling or weakness.

That’s why your symptoms can feel intense even if the problem looks “small” on a scan either an X-ray or MRI and the same happens with back pain.

Why Does Your Pain Travel Down The Arm

Each nerve on your neck supplies/goes to a specific area of four arm and hand. So when one nerve is affected the pain follows a pattern for instance pain in the thumb as a result of a specific nerve irritated, tingling in the little finger the same.

This is why physiotherapists can often identify the exact problem without without even asking for a scan.

When Should You Be Concerned?

Seek professional help if;

  • There is increasing weakness in the arm.
  • Severe or worsening pain.
  • Loss of coordination.
  • Symptoms in both arms.

Can Cervical Radiculopathy Heal?

Yes, most cases improve within weeks with physiotherapy other cases may take months.

The right treatment speeds up recovery and prevents chronic pain.

Treatment -Physiotherapy Approach

As an orthopedic physiotherapist, a well designed therapy that is targeted is able to relieve pressure on the nerve, improve mobility and strengthen supporting muscles.

Posture correction plays a vital role also to help minimize pressure on the nerve combined with nerve mobility exercises and other pain management strategies as guided by our orthopedic physiotherapist.

Final Advice

If your pain is traveling to your arm, cause tingling or numbness and affects your strength don’t ignore it.

Book a physiotherapy assessment today and start your recovery journey.

Author

Moses Katasi - Orthopedic Physiotherapist Book an appointment

BSc, Dip, Post-graduate Diploma in Orthopedic Physiotherapy - AMREF International University, Certified Clinical Physiotherapy Instructor (CPTI) Kenya, Optimal Dry Needling Specialist (ODNS) at International Academy of Orthopedic Medicine(IAOM) - USA.