Blog post from our board member Dr. Robert Bacci: Physical Therapy for pinched nerves – Courtesy of Bacci & Glinn Physical Therapy
PHYSICAL THERAPY LEADS TO SIGNIFICANT BENEFITS FOR RADIATING NECK PAIN
The spine contains nerves that send messages to and from the brain and all other parts of the body. For this reason, any time one of these nerves is affected, it can lead to problems not only in the spine, but in other body parts as well. One condition that involves spinal nerves is called cervical radiculopathy, in which pain and other symptoms radiate out from the neck to other areas of the body.
A BRIEF ANATOMY REVIEW
The spine is made up of 24 bones called vertebrae that are stacked on top of one another. Together, these bones connect to create a canal that protects the spinal cord from damage. The uppermost portion of the spine that begins at the base of the skull is called the cervical spine. It contains nerves that carry messages between the brain and muscles in the shoulders, arms, and hands. This is achieved through nerve roots that travel through the spinal canal and branch out through openings in the vertebrae called foramen.
PINCHED NERVES CAUSE RADIATING PAIN
Cervical radiculopathy, which is also referred to as a pinched nerve, occurs any time one of the nerve roots in the neck is compressed or pinched when it branches away from the spinal cord. This is caused by