Cervical Radiculopathy

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors
Medically Reviewed by Shruthi N, MD on February 16, 2025
5 min read

Cervical radiculopathy is a condition caused by a pinched nerve in your neck. It happens when your cervical spinal cord or nerve roots arising from it become compressed by the cervical vertebrae. Your cervical spine, or neck, is formed by seven small vertebrae that begin at the base of your skull, which is the area affected by cervical radiculopathy.

The nerves that run through your cervical spine send messages between your muscles and brain. The roots of these nerves branch out through openings in your vertebrae called foramen. Damage to these nerve roots can cause pain and loss of sensation along the nerve's pathway into your arm and hand, depending on where the damage occurs.

Often, cervical radiculopathy gets better on its own without treatment. If yours doesn't, there are nonsurgical and surgical treatments that can help.

Anything that puts pressure on the nerve roots can damage them. The most common causes are: 

Degenerative changes. In middle-aged people, normal degenerative changes in the disks can cause pressure on nerve roots. Cervical foraminal stenosis, for example, happens when these changes narrow the openings in your vertebrae, which causes them to pinch nerve roots.

Herniated disk. A herniated disk happens when the soft, gel-like center of a spinal disk pushes through a tear in the tough outer layer, putting pressure on nerves and causing pain. Disks usually herniate with activity, such as when you bend, lift, twist, or pull. 

Injury. In younger people, cervical radiculopathy often results from a ruptured disk, typically due to trauma. 

Less common causes of cervical radiculopathy

Less often, cervical radiculopathy is caused by:

  • Infections in the spine
  • Tumors in the spine caused by cancer
  • Benign, or noncancerous, growths in the spine
  • Sarcoidosis, the growth of inflammatory cells

The main symptom of cervical radiculopathy is pain that spreads into the arm, neck, chest, upper back, and/or shoulders. Often, this affects just one side of your body.

You may also experience:

  • Sensory issues, such as numbness or tingling in fingers or hands
  • Motor problems, such as muscle weakness, lack of coordination, or the loss of reflexes in your arms or legs

To make a diagnosis of cervical radiculopathy, your doctor will first ask you to describe all your symptoms and review your medical history. They will also do a physical exam.

The exam will involve checking your neck, shoulders, arms, and hands for muscle weakness and problems with sensation or reflexes. Your doctor may ask you to move your arms or neck to see if certain movements cause or ease pain or other symptoms.

They may also do these tests:

  • X-rays, to look for narrowing of vertebral openings or disk injury
  • CT scans, to get more detailed pictures of your cervical spine
  • MRI, to check for damage to nerve roots or soft tissues
  • Electromyography, to see how your muscles work when they are at rest and contracted

For some people, the symptoms of cervical radiculopathy get better with time and don’t require treatment. If you do need treatment, your doctor will start with nonsurgical options.

Nonsurgical cervical radiculopathy treatments

Nonsurgical treatment for cervical radiculopathy usually involves rest, medications, physical therapy, or a combination of these.

Immobilization. A neck collar, called a cervical collar, helps support your neck while it's healing. It will also prevent you from making neck movements that worsen your problem.

Medications. These may include corticosteroids (powerful anti-inflammatory drugs) or nonsteroidal pain medication such as ibuprofen or naproxen. Steroids may be prescribed either orally or injected epidurally (into the space surrounding the dura — the membrane that covers the spinal cord).

Physical therapy. This might include gentle cervical traction and mobilization, exercises, and other modalities to reduce pain and improve strength and mobility.

Surgical cervical radiculopathy treatments

If there is significant nerve compression that results in motor weakness, surgery may be necessary to relieve the pressure.

Exercises for cervical radiculopathy aim to increase mobility, flexibility, and strength of your neck and upper body muscles. Get your doctor's advice before starting any exercise plan. It's best to work with a physical therapist who can create a customized plan for you. They might suggest a few exercises, such as:

Neck flexion

Lie on your back with a small pillow under your head supporting your neck. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor. Slowly bend your head forward as if you are nodding, bringing your chin toward your neck. Hold for five seconds. Repeat five times. 

Neck rotation

Starting in the same position on your back, slowly turn your head to one side and hold for five seconds. Bring your head back to neutral, then rotate it in the other direction. Hold for five seconds. Repeat five times. 

Isometric neck extension

Lying on your back with a pillow supporting your neck, push the back of your head gently against the pillow. You'll feel slight tension in your neck muscles. Hold the tension for five seconds. Repeat five times. 

Resisted neck flexion

Make fists with your hands and put them under your chin. Hold them in place and try to nod your head down against the pressure. Hold here for five seconds. Repeat five times. 

Resisted neck rotation

Place your right palm on the right side of your face. Maintain gentle pressure as you try to turn your head to the right against the resistance. Hold for five seconds, then switch to the left side. Repeat five times on both sides.

Cervical radiculopathy, often resulting from a pinched nerve in the neck, causes pain that can radiate down your arm. Usually, it gets better on its own. If you need treatment, your doctor will start with nonsurgical options, such as physical therapy and pain medication. Steroid injections may be used for more persistent pain. If these methods don't work, surgery might be an option. Consult your doctor for diagnosis and the best treatment plan for your specific case.

What makes cervical radiculopathy worse?

Anything that puts pressure on and further irritates the nerves will worsen cervical radiculopathy. This includes poor posture, moving your neck in ways that put pressure on the nerves, and being overweight or having obesity. 

How to sleep with cervical radiculopathy

Keeping your neck properly supported is key. A special cervical pillow placed under your neck at night can help prevent irritation of your nerves at night. 

What happens if cervical radiculopathy is left untreated?

If you don't get the right treatment, your neck pain may become severe and extend to your chest, arms, upper back, and shoulders. You may have muscle weakness in your upper body that can make it hard for you to move normally in daily life. This damage can be permanent and lead to paralysis.