How Do You Diagnose Acute Cervical Radiculopathy?
A cervical radiculopathy can be a frightening and terribly painful condition. The problem, usually caused by pressure from a bulging or ruptured disc on nerves as they come out of the spinal cord, can also cause arm and shoulder weakness. Developing an idea about the anatomy of the neck, how nerves reach their destinations, and what different symptoms imply are all helpful in diagnosing this problem. Learn about the anatomy of the neck, the spinal cord and the cervical spine from websites like orthogate.org. Develop an understanding of how the nerves to the arm come through openings in the cervical spine and go all the way to the fingers. Know that pressure on these nerves cause various symptoms. The symptoms relate to what the nerves supply. Consequently, pressure on a nerve that supplies the outside of the left arm will seem to cause pain in the left arm even though the problem is in the neck. Review your recent history. If you have symptoms that may be from a cervical radiculopathy,
