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CERVICAL RADICULAR PAIN—CAUSES AND TREATMENTS
Cervical Radiculopathy
Cervical radicular pain refers to pain that is originating in the nerve roots of the neck. Patients often describe radicular pain as radiating, sharp, shooting, and/or electric-type pain. It is often associated with numbness or weakness in the upper extremity.
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Cervical Epidural Steroid Injection (ESI)
The word cervical means of or related to the neck.
Epidural steroid injections (ESIs) are a common treatment option for some types of cervical, thoracic, arm, low back and/or leg pain. ESIs have been used for low back pain since the 1950s and are still an important part of the non-surgical management of low back pain and sciatica.
The goal of an ESI is to provide the patient with pain relief. Sometimes the injection alone provides the patient with great relief, but oftentimes our doctors use a combination of rehabilitation services to help the patient gain better function and mobility—physical therapy, chiropractics, and massage therapy are all effective tools once the pain has been resolved. |
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Cervical Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injection (ESI)
During a cervical transforaminal ESI, a small amount of steroids are injected into a specific nerve in the neck. The procedure helps the inflamed nerve to return to normal, providing the patient with pain relief. Once the pain is under control, patients are then able to more comfortably participate in rehabilitative services such as physical therapy, massage therapy and/or chiropractics.
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Cervical Dorsal Root Ganglion Radio Frequency
The word cervical means of or related to the neck. Dorsal root ganglion refers to a group of sensory nerve cell bodies. These nerves pass sensory information to neurons in the spinal cord so it can be analyzed by the brain. Therefore, cervical dorsal root ganglion refers to nerves in the neck that transmit information to the brain.
After a patient has undergone the proper diagnostic tests (nerve block injections), our doctors educate our patients about radio frequency lesioning—a procedure that typically results in 12-24 months of pain relief.
Using high-frequency pulsed radio waves, our physicians pulse the pain generating nerve. Through this process, the chronic pain sensory fibers on the nerve are de-activated. The nerve is still functioning, but there is no more pain. Most insurance companies will cover this treatment at least once a year.
“Many conditions can be treated by simply targeting the painful nerve and treating it with our radio frequency procedures. Thanks to these medical advances, we can offer effective treatments without the risk and recovery time of surgery,’” says Dr. Richard Rosenthal, the medical director of Nexus Paincare. |
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