A pinched nerve, also medically called cervicalgia or a cervical radiculopathy, occurs when a nerve root coming off the spinal cord becomes compressed. The cervical spine consists of 7 cervical vertebrae (the bones that form the neck region). Each vertebra is separated by a gel-like disc. The discs provide shock absorption for the spine.
The spinal cord is like a tree trunk, and the spinal nerves are like the tree branches. If an impingement or abnormal pressure is placed on a branch near the trunk, everything along that branch will be affected.
The compression can occur for various reasons. In younger people, it may occur when a cervical disc herniates due to trauma. In older individuals, it commonly occurs spontaneously as a result of arthritis or decreased disc height in the neck region.
Spinal nerves can be impinged by:
- Arthritis
- Disc wear-and-tear with age
- Herniated or bulging discs from trauma or degeneration
- Spinal stenosis (a narrowing of the spaces in which the nerves travel)
- Tumor (either benign or malignant)