7 Nonsurgical Treatment Options for Cervical Radiculopathy

Cervical radiculopathy is well-known for causing pain. People often describe their pinched nerve as feeling like a burning or sharp pain in their neck. Even worse, the pain suddenly turns severe and may shoot down your arm when you move your neck.

Most people heal from cervical radiculopathy without surgery. However, the nonsurgical treatments you receive can make the difference between a successful, tolerable recovery and a neck problem that becomes chronic.

Our specialists at Alliance Spine and Pain Centers create customized treatment plans that alleviate your pain and address the underlying cause. We always begin cervical radiculopathy treatments with nonsurgical therapies like the seven listed below. 

1. Ice, heat, and/or activity modification

The most basic nonsurgical treatments include modifying activity and using ice and heat therapy. You should maintain better posture and limit or avoid strenuous activities, heavy lifting, and any activity that causes discomfort or pain in your neck.

An ice pack reduces inflammation and swelling, which you’re most likely to have if an injury is the cause of your pinched nerve. Heat relaxes muscles, increases blood flow, promotes healing, and relieves pain.

When using either therapy, place a soft cloth between your skin and the ice or heat pack. Leave it on your neck for 10-20 minutes, then wait several hours before applying it again.

2. Immobilization with a soft cervical collar

While your neck is healing, it’s essential to avoid repetitive neck movements and any movement that puts pressure on the pinched nerve. Wearing a soft cervical collar limits neck movement, helping you to maintain a comfortable position and ease the pain.

How long you need to wear the collar depends on the severity of the neck injury. Whether you wear it for a few days or weeks, a cervical collar is a short-term therapy. Wearing it too long can lead to muscle weakness.

3. Medication

Over-the-counter or prescription nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) relieve your pain by reducing inflammation in the nerve and surrounding tissues. You may need oral corticosteroids if NSAIDs don’t improve your pain.

4. Physical therapy

As soon as we determine you can safely move your neck, physical therapy is a primary treatment for relieving pain, promoting healing, improving movement, and strengthening neck muscles.

Your physical therapist may use spinal traction to decompress the nerve. They may also recommend therapeutic massage or other modalities to ease nerve pain.

While you may be able to do gentle stretching exercises at home, any strengthening and nerve-gliding exercises should only be done under the guidance of a healthcare provider. Using the wrong technique while exercising could worsen your symptoms.

5. Steroid injections

If you have persistent or intolerable pain after trying NSAIDs and a cervical collar, we may recommend a steroid injection.

While we can target a selected nerve, we typically perform an epidural steroid injection. The nerve roots are located in an area outside the spinal cord known as the epidural space. Injecting steroids into this space allows the medication to flow around the nerve root.

Steroids are powerful anti-inflammatory drugs, and when injected at the nerve, they often provide substantial and long-lasting pain relief.

6. Trigger point injections

Cervical radiculopathy is often associated with trigger points. These painful muscle knots don’t cause radiculopathy; instead, they develop as a result of it or its underlying cause.

The pinched nerve and its possible causes — whether a herniated disc, disc degeneration, spinal stenosis, osteoarthritis, or repetitive movements — put extra stress on the surrounding muscles. The stress leads to muscle inflammation, spasms, and trigger points.

Trigger points magnify the pain of your radiculopathy. However, we can quickly ease the pain with a trigger point injection that relaxes the muscles.

7. Platelet-rich plasma injections

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) contains a concentrated amount of platelets obtained from a sample of your blood. After we inject PRP, the platelets release growth factors that accelerate healing, reduce inflammation, relieve pain, and help repair the damaged tissues.

We may inject PRP into the epidural space or target the damaged spinal structures responsible for the pinched nerve root.

Get expert care for neck radiculopathy

Our Alliance Spine and Pain Centers team specializes in a wide range of advanced, nonsurgical, and minimally invasive treatments that can alleviate the pain of cervical radiculopathy and support healing. To learn more, call the nearest office or book online today.