Initial Pain Management for Cervical Radiculopathy

Understanding Cervical Radiculopathy

• Cervical radiculopathy is characterized by upper limb pain or sensorimotor deficit due to cervical nerve root impingement/irritation, with an annual incidence of approximately 83 per 100,000 persons, and presentation typically includes neck and/or upper limb pain with varying degrees of sensory or motor deficits, caused by compression from herniated disc material, spondylarthrosis, or a combination 1, 2
• The American College of Radiology notes that cervical radiculopathy has an annual incidence of approximately 83 per 100,000 persons 2

Diagnostic Considerations

• The American College of Radiology recommends that diagnosis is made through a combination of clinical history, physical examination, and imaging, and MRI findings should always be interpreted in combination with clinical findings due to frequent false-positive and false-negative results 2
• The American College of Radiology suggests that CT may offer complementary benefit in assessing osseous structures when MRI is contraindicated 2, 3

Important Caveats

• The American College of Radiology notes that MRI alone should not be used to diagnose symptomatic cervical radiculopathy due to high rates of abnormal findings in asymptomatic individuals 2, 3