Diagnostic Approach to Cervical Radiculopathy

Diagnostic Performance and Limitations

• The American College of Radiology notes that there is limited evidence for correlation between physical examination findings, including Spurling's test, and MRI evidence of cervical nerve root compression, which may be due to high rates of both false-positive and false-negative MRI findings in suspected cervical radiculopathy 1
• The use of Spurling's test as part of the clinical assessment for cervical radiculopathy is recommended, but with the recognition that imaging is not required at initial presentation without red flags, as 75-90% of cases resolve with conservative treatment, according to clinical guidelines 3