Cervical radiculopathy occurs when the nerve roots that are shed from the spinal cord are compressed. Compression can occur for a variety of reasons. When it occurs on young people, cervical disc herniation may occur due to trauma and suffocation. In the elderly, it usually occurs spontaneously due to arthritis or a decrease in the height of the intervertebral disc in the neck region. When the spinal nerves are struck, they are unable to properly transmit information from the brain to the muscles, nor can they get the proper feel from the specific arm position where the nerves travel. Unfortunately, it is affected by the walking of the spinal nerves everywhere, resulting in pain in the arm, weakness and loss of radioactivity.

Most physical nerve or trap problems can be managed conservatively through physical therapy and the patient will return to normal function. A variety of ways can be used to help control the symptoms associated with cervical radiculopathy.

Physical therapy for cervical radiculopathy

1. Low intensity laser therapy [LLLT]: Low-level laser therapy is an advanced treatment option. Laser therapy uses very short wavelength light [600-1000 nm] to penetrate human tissue to promote tissue healing and reduce pain and swelling. Particles called photons are combined in a waveform to produce light. Light penetrates the skin layer at all wavelengths in the visible range. LLLT can be used to help alleviate pain in patients.
2. Traction: Spinal traction is a decompression therapy that relieves spinal pressure. It can be performed manually or mechanically on the traction platform. Spinal traction is used to treat disc herniation, sciatica, degenerative disc disease, pinching nerves and many other back diseases. Spinal traction stretches the spine with a reduced pressure compression disk.
3. Ultrasound therapy: Ultrasound therapy has been shown to reduce pain, increase function and enhance cartilage repair. Ultrasonic sound waves are converted into heat in deep tissue, opening the blood vessels and allowing oxygen to be delivered to the injured area.
4. Electrical stimulationA study in the journal Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry found that electrical stimulation reduced pain in patients with cervical radiculopathy by 40%. Electrotherapy can relieve pain by helping to relax tight or astringent muscles. This is a good choice for patients who want to stay away from medication. There are two main ways of treatment; first, it can provide a stimulus, body interpretation is different from pain, and second, it can artificially cause muscle contraction to destroy the cycle.
5. Therapeutic exercise: The use of cervical spine exercises can help relieve symptoms and increase the range of patient activity. Neck stretching is especially useful if the patient is sitting for a long time and helps relieve neck pressure.

Neck pain is the third leading cause of chronic pain; more than a quarter of Americans report the location of neck pain. Unfortunately, many Americans have been suffering from pain because they just think it is normal. According to a recent survey by the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons [AOA], nearly one-half of Americans believe that pain is part of life, while another 41% believe that pain is a standard part of the aging process. It is important to educate patients about their treatment options so they can seek treatment. Patients do not need to have cervical radiculopathy, especially because physical therapy not only relieves symptoms, but also completely eliminates the problem.

For more information on physical therapy and popular methods, see ProHealthcareProducts.com.

How to treat cervical radiculopathy with physical therapy was originally published on Spring