What is Cervical Radiculopathy?
Cervical radiculopathy is a condition caused by inflammation or pinching of one or more of the spinal nerves in the neck.
What causes it?
Cervical radiculopathy is usually caused by herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, or stenosis (narrowing) of the cervical spine.
What symptoms can it cause?
Cervical radiculopathy can cause neck pain, radiating arm pain, numbness, or weakness. This is sometimes described as pins-and-needles, achy to shock-like, or burning pain which may cause pain that starts in the neck and goes all the way down to your fingers.
How can it be treated?
There are generally three levels of treatment that Dr. Webb typically uses to treat patients with cervical radiculopathy. Some patients, depending on their severity of symptoms, may progress through these levels in an accelerated fashion depending on their reported symptoms and objective physical exam findings. The goals of each level of treatment are to relieve pain and improve function. Most (up to 90%) of patients can be treated with level 1 or 2 conservative treatment including pain medications, lifestyle modification, injections, and/or physical therapy. The remaining 10% of patients that fail conservative treatment may require surgical intervention which is always the final and last resort.
Level I – Non-Invasive/Conservative Treatments
- Non narcotic pain medications
- Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatories (NSAIDs)
- Muscle Relaxant medications
- Oral Steroids
- Physical Therapy, Chiropractic Therapy and/or Home Exercises
- Lifestyle Modification
Level II – Spinal Injections
- Cervical Epidural Steroid Injections
- Outpatient procedures
- Done with x-ray guidance
- 1-3 injections may be needed
Level III – Surgery
Surgery is used only as a last resort and only when all other options fail.
Anterior cervical discectomy and Fusion (ACDF)
- Surgery performed by making an incision on the anterior (front) of the neck and the diseased disc + disc herniation are removed. This space is replaced with a plastic or metal cage/spacer followed by a plate and screws to fuse that level of the spine. Learn more about ACDF
Cervical Artificial Disc Replacement (ADR)
- Surgery performed by making an incision on the anterior (front) of the neck and the diseased disc + disc herniation are removed. This space is replaced with a metal prosthesis (artificial disc). This procedure has many advantages over a fusion including maintaining motion in that segment of the spine, avoiding advanced degeneration of surrounding levels, and minimizing the chance that you will need further surgery in the future. Learn more about cervical ADR.
Posterior Cervical Foraminotomy
- Surgery is performed by making an incision on the posterior (back) of the neck. Using minimally invasive techniques, the compressing bone and herniation are removed with special instruments. No screws, plates, or hardware are usually needed. Learn more about posterior cervical foraminotomy.
Posterior cervical decompression and fusion
- Surgery is performed by making an incision on the posterior (back) of the neck and the compressing bone and disc herniation are removed with special instruments. Screws and rods are sometimes needed to stabilize the spine. Learn more about posterior cervical decompression and fusion.
“Conservative treatment is the goal and using surgery only as a last resort.”
Antonio webb, md