Diagnosis for Cervical Radiculopathy
If your pinched nerve is not improving after trying conservative home remedies, you should see your doctor.
Your medical professional will inquire about your:
- medical background
- general wellbeing
- symptoms you are experiencing
- history of any injury or accident history
Your neck, shoulder, arms, and hands will then be examined. They’ll examine your muscles for weakness, test your reflexes for changes, and inquire about the various symptoms you’re experiencing. Your healthcare Prov will contrast the feelings you experience on one side of your body to your other side because cervical radiculopathy nearly always affects one side of your body (is unilateral).
Additionally, your doctor might urge you to do specific arm and neck movements in an effort to recreate and/or ease your symptoms.
Since many other neurological disorders [4], such as neuropathy [5], can also cause pain and numbness, cervical radiculopathy can be challenging to diagnose. This means that in order for your healthcare professional to confirm the diagnosis of cervical radiculopathy, you might need to undergo certain imaging tests.
Likely tests to be done
The following tests are used by medical professionals in addition to a physical examination to identify cervical radiculopathy or to rule out other potential reasons of your symptoms:
- X-ray of the spine
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) [6]
- Computed Tomography (CT) Scan [7]
- Electromyography [8]