Cervical Radiculopathy Patient Handout
Understanding nerve root compression in the neck and arm pain patterns
What is Cervical Radiculopathy?
Cervical radiculopathy means a nerve root in your neck is compressed or irritated, causing pain radiating down your arm.
Causes
- • Herniated disc (most common)
- • Bone spurs
- • Stenosis
- • Facet arthritis
- • Cervical myelopathy (spinal cord involvement)
Symptoms
- • Sharp arm pain (often worse than neck pain)
- • Follows specific nerve distribution
- • Numbness/tingling in arm or hand
- • Weakness in specific muscles
- • Pain worse with extension
- • Pain with Spurling's maneuver
Nerve Root Patterns
| Nerve | Pain Location | Numbness | Weakness |
|---|---|---|---|
| C5 | Shoulder | Shoulder/lateral arm | Shoulder abduction |
| C6 | Lateral arm, thumb | Thumb, index | Wrist extension |
| C7 | Posterior arm, hand | Middle/ring fingers | Wrist/finger extension |
| C8 | Medial arm, hand | Pinky, medial hand | Grip, finger flexion |
Conservative Treatment
- • Physical therapy (cervical stability, posture)
- • NSAIDs
- • Cervical collar (short-term)
- • Epidural steroid injection
Success rate: 50-70%
When Surgery Appropriate
- • Progressive weakness
- • Persistent pain despite conservative treatment
- • Significant functional limitation
- • MRI correlation with symptoms
MIS Surgical Options
Endoscopic Cervical Discectomy
- • Pencil-thin telescope
- • Minimal incision
- • Direct visualization
- • Success rate: 85-95%
MIS ACDF
- • Small incision anterior approach
- • Disc removal, fusion
- • Motion-preserving disc replacement option
- • Success rate: 85-95%
Why Choose Greenberg Spine?
Dr. Marc Greenberg brings fellowship-trained expertise in minimally invasive and motion-preserving spine surgery to Fort Wayne. Our evidence-based approach combines the latest surgical techniques with personalized patient care.
Fellowship-trained spine surgeon
Minimally invasive techniques
Motion preservation focus
Evidence-based care