Cervical radiculopathy occurs when a nerve root coming off the spinal cord becomes compressed. Nerve compression can occur for multiple reasons. In younger people, it may occur when a cervical disc herniates due to an injury. In older individuals, it can occur spontaneously as a result of arthritis or decreased disc height in the neck region.
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 travels through a canal in the cervical vertebrae. Spinal nerve roots extend from the spinal cord and branch off going to specific locations in the arm. The spinal nerves send signals to our muscles for movement as well as sensations that we feel in the entire arm. 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.
What are common causes of upper trap pain?
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)