NERVE COMPRESSION / IRRITATION IN THE NECK
As the pairs of nerve roots leave the cervical spine (neck) they can become subjected to injury either as a result of physically restriction or chemically irritation.
In the vast majority of cases, this is due to a prolapsed disc and sometimes bony growths from degenerative joints, known as osteophytes, which may be present in degenerative or arthritic spines. Nerves can also be irritated away from the spine. These are known as peripheral entrapments.
SYMPTOMS OF NERVE COMPRESSION OR IRRITATION IN THE CERVICAL SPINE
In medical terms, referred pain into the limbs from a trapped nerve in the spine is defined as radicular pain. If a nerve root in the neck is being irritated, it can cause pain referral into the upper limb (arms and hands) and if it is in the low back it can cause referral into the lower limb (leg and foot). Radicular pain can vary in both quality and intensity, but generally speaking it is described as constant, dull “toothache” type pain. The pain distribution is often specific and dependent on which nerve root is being irritated.
Along with radicular pain, a trapped nerve in the neck can also cause additional symptoms to be reported by the patient, such as:
• Pins and needles / tingling / numbness: these changes in sensation are also known as paraesthesias. The nerve roots serve certain areas of skin, known as dermatomes.
• Loss of strength: when the nerve is being compressed, there can also be very specific loss of strength in the muscle’s that it serves, known as myotomes.
(The list of conditions given above and subsequent explanations are intended as a general guide and should not be considered a replacement for a full medical examination. Furthermore, we do not purport to treat all the conditions listed. Should you wish to discuss any of these conditions with our chiropractors, please do not hesitate to phone the clinic on 020 7374 2272 or email enquiries@body-motion.co.uk).