Cervical Radiculopathy (Pinched Nerve) Treatment in Midtown NYC

Pain, numbness, or weakness that starts in your neck and travels down into your shoulder, arm, or hand is often a sign of cervical radiculopathy, commonly called a pinched nerve. It's more common than you'd think, and the good news is that the large majority of cases improve significantly with the right conservative care, without ever needing surgery.

What Is Cervical Radiculopathy?

Cervical radiculopathy happens when a nerve root in the neck becomes compressed or irritated as it exits the spine. Because that nerve root carries signals down into the shoulder, arm, and hand, irritation at the neck can cause pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness that shows up far from where the actual problem is, a pattern that often confuses people trying to figure out what's wrong.

What Causes Cervical Radiculopathy

• Cervical spondylosis is age-related degeneration where discs lose height and bone spurs form, narrowing the space where nerve roots exit. This is the most common cause overall.
• Herniated or bulging discs - when disc material is pressing on a nearby nerve root, more common in people under 50.
• Facet joint changes contributing to narrowing around the nerve root.

Signs and Symptoms

• Sharp, burning, or aching pain radiating from the neck into the shoulder, arm, or hand, usually on one side.
• Numbness or tingling following that same path.
• Muscle weakness or reduced reflexes in the affected arm.
• Neck pain or stiffness that may be less noticeable than the arm symptoms themselves.

How We Diagnose Cervical Radiculopathy

Diagnosis starts with a hands-on exam: testing sensation, reflexes, and strength in the arm to identify which nerve root is involved, along with specific movements that reproduce your symptoms. We take on-site digital X-rays to check for disc space narrowing or bone spurs contributing to the compression. If your symptoms are significant, not improving as expected, or we need a clearer picture of the soft tissue, we'll refer you for an MRI, the preferred imaging for confirming a herniated disc or nerve root impingement or an EMG to assess nerve function.

Treatment Options

The evidence is clear that most cervical radiculopathy should start with conservative, non-surgical care, and that's our default approach:

• Chiropractic adjustments to improve mechanics in the cervical spine and reduce pressure on the affected nerve root
• Spinal decompression therapy (mechanical traction), which research supports as a helpful addition to a broader treatment plan for some patients
• Physical therapy and therapeutic exercise - strengthening and stretching with real evidence behind it as a cornerstone of recovery.
• Soft tissue therapy to address the muscle tension that builds up around an irritated nerve.
• Activity modification while the nerve settles down.

What Recovery Looks Like

The research here is genuinely encouraging: more than 85% of cervical radiculopathy cases improve substantially within 8 to 12 weeks with conservative care. Symptoms do come back in roughly a third of patients at some point after initial improvement, which is part of why we build a plan around the underlying mechanics, not just short-term symptom relief.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is this different from a regular neck strain? A strain is a muscle or ligament injury without nerve involvement. Cervical radiculopathy specifically involves a compressed or irritated nerve root, which is why symptoms travel down the arm rather than staying in the neck.

How long until I feel better? Most people see meaningful improvement within 8 to 12 weeks of starting treatment, though it varies by cause and severity. We'll give you a realistic timeline once we've evaluated your specific case.

Will insurance cover treatment? We accept most major insurance plans, see our Insurance page for details, or call us and we'll help you check your benefits.

Get Started With an Evaluation

If pain, numbness, or weakness is radiating from your neck into your arm, our Midtown team can identify what's causing it and build a plan to fix it.

Call or Text us for an appointment (212) 245-5688