Cervical pain is generally related to neck pain along with other symptoms depending on your conditions. The neck is a complex part of the anatomy. And your neck plays a major role for your hands, shoulders, spinal cord and arms to be able to move and feel.
Also, various other nerves are connected to your neck and if in case, these nerves get damaged this may result in cervical radiculopathy.
Cervical condition is mainly related to neck pain because when there are some changes in your nerve function in the cervical region this might cause cervical pain.
If you want to get rid of this problem, it is important to consult a doctor so that the cause of the neck pain is detected earlier with the help of various examinations, this will help in the treatment of neck pain and you may recover earlier than you think.
Let’s Understand the Neck Nerves:
There are 33 small bones also known as vertebrae, and your spine is made of these bones (stacked one on top). This long bone structure is also known as the spinal cord.
The middle section is the thoracic section, the bottom section known as the lumbar region, and the top section known as the cervical region (C1-C8).
The nerves connected to your spine travel in between the vertebrae and spread in the entire body.
If you are suffering from spinal stenosis, degenerative disc diseases or herniated discs, this may also put pressure on the cervical nerves.
If you want to know whether you have cervical problems, you need to identify some symptoms of Cervical radiculopathy (neck pain).
5 Symptoms of Cervical Radiculopathy:
1. Pain the neck and head:
Yes, if you are suffering from cervical radiculopathy this may cause neck and head pain. The pain is even more when you do any neck movement. This happens when the C1-C3 cervical nerves are damaged that controls your neck and head.
2. Pain in the shoulder:
The C4 nerve of the cervical section is responsible for the movement in the upward shoulder and neck. Also, the C4 nerve connects to the C5 and C3 nerves that helps to regulate your diaphragm. Therefore, shoulder pain is related to the nerves we mentioned above.
3. Pain in the index finger, bicep, thumb and wrist: The pain in these areas happens when the C6 nerve is affected. This nerve is related to the thumb side area of the hand, wrist, bicep muscle in the upper arm, and the index finger. If you feel numbness and tingling in these areas, this might be a result of cervical radiculopathy.
4. Pain in the middle finger and triceps:
If there is pain in the tricep muscles, this could be a symptom of cervical radiculopathy. The nerve that controls the tricep muscle is the C7 nerve and if the tricep muscle pain travels to the index finger, it is a good sign to understand that pain is happening because of cervical radiculopathy.
5. Pain the finger and weaker grip:
If you are suffering from cervical radiculopathy this may result in pain in the finger and your grip may become weaker. The C8 nerve is responsible for flexing your fist and holding a grip. If you feel needle-like pain, numbness and weakness in the pinky and fourth finger this could be a reason for cervical radiculopathy.
If you are experiencing the above symptoms, it is it to not delay your situation and consult a doctor. And start your cervical neck pain treatment as soon as possible this will prevent you from further complications.
Getting treatment in the initial stage is helpful to tackle any health problem. There are medications, exercises and physical therapy to treat nerve pain like spinal stenosis, herniated disc, and cervical radiculopathy.
Physical therapy helps to reduce pain and strengthen your muscles and ease movement in the affected region. But, in some serious cases, the doctor might also suggest surgery.