Cervical radiculopathy (also known as “pinched nerve”) is a condition that results in neurological dysfunction caused by compression and inflammation of any of the nerve roots of your cervical spine (neck). Neurological dysfunction can include radiating pain, muscle weakness and/or numbness.
Certain neck movements—like extending or straining the neck or turning the head—may increase the pain. Other symptoms include: Tingling or the feeling of "pins and needles" in the fingers or hand. Weakness in the muscles of the arm, shoulder, or hand.
So damage to the cervical nerves may disrupt signals from the brain to other areas of the body, but won't directly damage the brain itself.
Neurologists do not perform surgery, they will determine the cause of your neck or back pain and exhaust conservative treatment modalities before recommending a surgery consultation. The specialists Dr.
Pressure on the spinal cord in the cervical region can be a serious problem, because virtually all of the nerves to the rest of the body have to pass through the neck to reach their final destination (arms, chest, abdomen, legs). This can potentially compromise the function of many important organs.
Pinched nerves can affect several areas of your body: A pinched nerve in the cervical spine can give you a stiff neck, and the pain and numbness can affect the shoulder and arm. A pinched lumbar nerve in the lower back can cause pain in your back, hips, buttocks and legs.
Any neurologist is highly specialized in diagnosing back pain and neck pain, and in assessing risks and treatment options. Every back pain and neck pain patient is unique, with different degrees of problems associated with a bone or disc abnormality. A neurologist is trained to discover the causes of symptoms.
Electromyography (EMG).
An EMG can determine whether neck pain might be related to a pinched nerve. It involves inserting fine needles through the skin into a muscle. The test measures the speed of nerve conduction to determine whether nerves are working properly.
An MRI may be able help identify structural lesions that may be pressing against the nerve so the problem can be corrected before permanent nerve damage occurs. Nerve damage can usually be diagnosed based on a neurological examination and can be correlated by MRI scan findings.
Radiculopathy is a nerve disorder caused by a compressed nerve in the spine. Lumbar radiculopathy and cervical radiculopathy are the most common. A patient with a pinched nerve may be diagnosed with radiculopathy. Patients may also feel nerve compression in their neck which can lead to peripheral neuropathy.
A c5-c6 herniated disc can affect the nerves that control the muscles in the arms, neck, shoulders, hands as well as the head, eyes, ears, or thyroid gland. Symptoms in these areas in addition to pain in the neck is very common with c5-c6 disc herniations.
Cervical nerves C1, C2 and C3 control your forward, backward and side head and neck movements. The C2 nerve provides sensation to the upper area of your head; C3 gives sensation to the side of your face and back of your head.
MRI scans use radio waves to produce images of soft tissue like muscles and ligaments, in addition to bones. Because of this, it's possible for an MRI to show nerve damage as well as other issues that might be causing pain in your body.
In chronic neck pain, x-rays are usually appropriate as initial imaging. MRI without contrast may be appropriate. If x-rays show degenerative changes, MRI without contrast is usually appropriate. CT without contrast or CT myelography may be appropriate.
MRI scans are very good for looking at the brain and spinal cord and are considered the best way to look for tumors in these areas.
Cervical dystonia is a neurological disorder that causes the muscles in your neck to contract involuntarily. That means without you making them move. This muscle contraction can make your head lean or twist to one side. Your chin may pull up, down, forward, or backward.
Some of the most common are epilepsy, Alzheimer's and other dementias, strokes, migraine and other headaches, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, neurological infections, brain tumors, traumatic conditions of the nervous system such as head injuries and disorders caused by malnutrition.
Symptoms. Neck pain is the most common presenting symptom of patients with a cervical spine tumor. Patients often have unrelenting pain, as well as night pain, that is not relieved by rest or traditional measures. Patients may have neck stiffness and decreased range-of-motion.
Spondylosis can lead to spinal stenosis, which is a narrowing of the spinal canal. As a result, the spinal cord and/or spinal nerve roots can become compressed (pinched). For example, the cervical spinal cord can be affected by compression from spondylosis. This is called cervical spondylotic myelopathy.
Cervical stenosis is a common cause of neck pain. It happens as there are changes with the vertebrae of the neck and the joints between those vertebrae. Bone spurs begin to form, causing cervical spinal stenosis. As the bone spurs grow, the spinal canal narrows and put pressure on the spinal cord and nerves.