Cervical radiculopathy is a painful condition that occurs when the nerves in the cervical portion of the spine become compressed.

Symptoms are usually caused by a pinched or irritated nerve in the neck causing pain that radiates into the chest or arm area.

People who experience cervical radiculopathy typically feel pain, weakness or numbness in the areas served by the irritated or compressed nerve. You might experience pain in a single location, like the shoulder, or it can spread along the entire arm. The intensity and kind of pain that comes with cervical radiculopathy can vary. Certain neck movements (bending or rotating the neck) may increase your pain.

Cervical radiculopathy may be treated in a number of ways – either conservatively, through exercise and stretching, or if your condition is severe or worsens, If you’re not able to find relief from your symptoms using conservative treatments like physical therapy and medication, interventional procedures need to be considered..

When an intervention is warranted, at ECC we may recommend local injections or endoscopic surgery to help decompress the spine and relieve pressure according to the specific case. Endoscopic treatment options may include mini laminoforaminotomy decompression operation, or we may perform an anterior endoscopic foraminotomy for nerve decompression.