Neck pain may come and go. But when that pain starts to radiate down your shoulder, arm, or into your fingers – when it brings numbness, tingling, or weakness – that’s something else entirely. That’s when cervical radiculopathy may be to blame.
Cervical radiculopathy starts when a nerve in the neck becomes compressed or inflamed. That pressure can trigger pain, numbness, or weakness anywhere along the arm or hand.
If your fingers feel numb after using your phone or your arm aches behind the wheel, the issue likely involves more than muscle tension. Spine specialists and physicians will recognize these symptoms as signs of nerve irritation – and build a plan that fits your life.
What Cervical Radiculopathy Might Feel Like
The symptoms may surprise you. You might expect pain in your neck, but instead you feel:
- Numbness in your hand or fingers
- Sharp or burning pain in your upper arm or forearm
- Tingling that moves when you turn your head
- Weakness when gripping or lifting
- Muscle fatigue without exertion
Symptoms may shift throughout the day – easing with rest or flaring when you sit, stand, or turn your head. That doesn’t make them any less real. A hypersensitive nerve can react to small movements in ways you won’t always predict.
How This Condition Starts
Nerves in the neck control movement and feeling in your arms, hands, and fingers. When one of those nerves gets irritated, it can send pain, tingling, or numbness anywhere along its path. Some people feel it in just a few fingers. Others feel it from the shoulder down.
Symptoms may come on suddenly or build up over time. A worn disc, poor posture, or an awkward sleep position may all contribute. A clear diagnosis will come from listening to your story, testing your movement, and using the right tools to find the source.
How We’ll Identify the Root Cause
At Long Island Spine Rehabilitation Medicine, we use a clear and comprehensive process to pinpoint the nerve involved. That process includes:
- Thorough physical and neurological exams
- Review of imaging studies like MRIs or CT scans
- Electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction studies
- Diagnostic injections to confirm the source of irritation
This approach gives us more than just a label – it tells us what your body needs next and how we’ll help you return to function without surgery.
How You’ll Start to Feel Better
Cervical radiculopathy won’t require surgery in most cases. You’ll improve through a thoughtful, multi-step approach that helps the nerve heal while reducing symptoms.
- Manual therapy will improve joint motion and relax tense muscles that put pressure on the nerve. Gentle stretching will restore mobility and ease tension.
- Targeted exercise will build strength and stability without overloading your spine. You’ll start with simple movements that improve control and tolerance.
- Postural training will reduce stress on your neck. Small adjustments to your desk, sleep position, or phone use may prevent flare-ups.
- Medications like anti-inflammatories may calm irritation around the nerve. Short-term use of nerve-targeting meds may also help reduce sensitivity.
These approaches will work together to calm the nerve, restore movement, and help you return to your routine with less pain and more control.
Additional Treatments That May Help
When symptoms persist or flare, we may use additional treatments tailored to your condition:
- Spinal epidural injections under fluoroscopic guidance will reduce inflammation at the source
- Acupuncture in our East Meadow and Great Neck offices may relieve pain by releasing natural endorphins
- PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field therapy) may stimulate your body’s healing response with noninvasive, pain-free electromagnetic pulses
You won’t follow a one-size-fits-all plan. Your treatment will evolve based on how your body responds – step by step.
Getting Back to Yourself
At Long Island Spine Rehabilitation Medicine, our spine specialists and physicians will listen closely and create a plan that fits your life. You won’t have to guess what’s next – we’ll walk through it together.
We won’t just look at your MRI. We’ll look at how your symptoms affect the way you move, rest, work, and show up each day. That’s how we treat cervical radiculopathy – and that’s how we’ll help you feel like yourself again.