What is cervical nerve root entrapment?
When nerve roots near the cervical region of the back become compressed, it results in the damage of a nerve root’s function. This is called cervical nerve root entrapment, also known as cervical radiculopathy.
Cervical radiculopathy refers to the pinching of a nerve root in the cervical region of the spine. When the nerve roots are damaged, it can cause pain and numbness along the nerve’s pathway, which can be the neck, shoulders, arms or even hands, depending on where the nerve is damaged.
Chemical processes that are related to inflammation are thought to be one of the most common causes of damage to nerve roots, but there are other factors that may lead to a pinched nerve. The inflammation due to chemical processes is a cause that occurs mostly in men rather than women and in older people aging between 50 to 54 years.
That being said, there are three reasons can cause cervical radiculopathy:
- Cervical herniated discs.
- Cervical spinal stenosis.
- Cervical degenerative disc disease.
Each of these conditions is more prone to being triggered at a certain age. The cervical nerves and nerve roots are responsible for providing sensation and movement in the neck, arms, and hands. Nerve compression, such as that caused by a herniated disk, can cause pain, numbness, and weakness.
Causes
Cervical nerve root entrapment can be caused due to pressure from a material such as a ruptured disk, displaced vertebrae, arthritis, injuries, or degenerative bone changes that lessen the space inside the affected foramen (hollow space through which the nerve roots pass, which is different from the spinal canal, where the spinal cord passes through), and thus build up pressure on the nerve roots.
For old age or middle-aged people, cervical nerve root entrapment can be caused by degenerative bone changes that build pressure on the nerves; for younger people, a ruptured disk can cause this problem.
Symptoms
Radiculopathy symptoms are not always felt by the patient, but when they occur they tend to manifest from time to time; they can come suddenly or gradually.
The first symptom that may appear is pain in the arm, neck, chest, shoulders, or back (upper portion, also known as the cervical spine). You might feel a loss of sensation or weakness in the hands or finger muscles. You might also feel a lack of coordination in the hands.
In most cases, pain is sharp and burning and is felt down the arms, starting from the neck. There may also be difficulty in the movement of the neck, such as when turning the head, extending or stretching the neck.
Treatment
Sometimes, the pain and other symptoms get better on their own. However, it is to be noted by the patient that, in some cases, impingement on the cervical nerve roots does not improve.
Even if it heals on its own, it is common for it to return in the future. So, if you want to treat the cause of cervical nerve root entrapment, you should get the Backrack spine treatment.
The Backrack device is designed to decompress the spine naturally through easy exercises. It is an absolutely non-invasive method to treat and prevent back problems.
