Cervical Radiculopathy post-MVA

Understanding Cervical Radiculopathy post-MVA

Also known as: Pinched Nerve in the Neck, Cervical Nerve Root Compression, Post-Accident Arm Pain Cervical radiculopathy after an MVA is nerve-root irritation producing pain and neurologic symptoms down the arm, caused by the combination of disc herniation, foraminal swelling, and post-traumatic facet hypertrophy. The specific nerve root involved determines where you feel symptoms — C6 affects the thumb side, C7 the middle finger, C8 the pinky side. Worth noting: even without frank herniation on imaging, edema alone can compress a nerve root after an MVA. And pre-existing but asymptomatic degenerative changes often become fully symptomatic after a crash when added inflammation tips the balance — the crash is the clinically and legally relevant cause of your symptoms.

Sharp, burning, or electrical pain shoots from the neck into the shoulder, down the arm, and into the hand in a stripe-like (dermatomal) pattern. Looking up, turning toward the painful side, or coughing worsens symptoms; the Bakody position often relieves them. Like other disc-related injuries, symptoms may appear days to weeks after the crash. Roughly 75-90% of cervical radiculopathy patients improve with conservative care over four to six months.

Your exam includes Spurling's test, the upper limb tension test, and detailed dermatomal and myotomal mapping — all documented for your case. Treatment combines cervical traction, flexion-distraction, nerve flossing, postural correction, and graduated therapeutic exercise. Class IV laser, electrical stimulation, and soft-tissue therapy support the process. When symptoms are severe or progressive, we coordinate with neurology and pain management for imaging and potential epidural injection.

We may recommend: cervical traction, flexion-distraction/Cox, spinal decompression, McKenzie protocol, Class IV laser, corrective exercise, TENS/e-stim Seek immediate care if: You experience rapidly progressive arm weakness, loss of fine motor control, gait disturbance, or bladder/bowel changes — these raise concern for myelopathy needing urgent surgical evaluation.