Physical Therapy For Cervical Radiculopathy (Pinched Nerve In The Neck)

Neck pain can make even the simplest tasks feel difficult — from turning your head while driving to sitting comfortably at your desk.

When that pain starts to travel down your shoulder, arm, or hand, it may be more than just general stiffness.

Conditions like cervical radiculopathy — often referred to as a “pinched nerve” — can interfere with your movement, strength, and overall comfort.

This type of injury is more common than many people realize and can develop from everyday habits like repetitive movements, poor posture, or age-related changes in the spine.

The good news is that there are effective ways to manage symptoms and improve how your body moves.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at:

• What cervical radiculopathy is and how it develops
• Common signs and symptoms to watch for
• What causes this type of nerve irritation
• And how physical therapy can help relieve pain and restore mobility

Let’s explore what might be causing your discomfort — and what you can do to start feeling better.

If your symptoms are persistent or worsening, a physical therapy evaluation can help identify the cause and guide the right treatment plan.

Early treatment can help prevent symptoms from progressing and reduce the risk of long-term nerve irritation.

What Is Cervical Radiculopathy?

Cervical radiculopathy is defined as pain that may move from your neck to your shoulder, shoulder blade, arm, or hand.

Neck pain is especially common as we age.

According to a 2025 article by Margetis Et Al., chronic neck pain accounts for up to 40% of work absenteeism cases.

Cervical radiculopathy is one of the many potential causes for recurring neck pain.

This condition often causes pain that radiates from your neck into your shoulder, shoulder blade, arm, or hand.

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, cervical radiculopathy typically develops when one of the nerve roots exiting your cervical spine becomes compressed or irritated.

As such, many people refer to this condition as a “pinched nerve” in their necks.

It affects approximately 85 out of 100,000 people and most commonly occurs in adults over 50.

But what exactly is a pinched nerve?

A “pinched nerve” occurs when surrounding structures such as discs, joints, or soft tissues place pressure on a nerve, often leading to pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness along the affected nerve pathway.

This condition is more common in people with jobs that involve repetitive movements, such as:

• People who run or play sports
• People who lift heavy things
• People who work at desks all day

RELATED ARTICLE: Physical Therapy Treatments For Repetitive Strain Injury

Other potential causes for cervical radiculopathy include:

• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Wear and tear of spinal discs due to advanced age
• Herniated or bulging spinal discs due to trauma or degenerative disc disease, which can place pressure on nearby nerve roots and lead to radiating symptoms
• Spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spaces in which your nerves travel)
• Spinal tumors that put pressure on your nerve roots

How Do You Know You Have Cervical Radiculopathy?

You can think of your spinal cord as a tree and your nerves as its branches.

These branches carry signals to different parts of your body.

Therefore, too much pressure on the trunk of the tree can cause issues in several areas.

The most common symptom of cervical radiculopathy is pain that travels from your neck into your shoulder, arm, or hand.

RELATED ARTICLE: Understanding Pain: Shoulder Pain

The type of pain experienced can differ from person to person.

The pain typically occurs on the same side of the body as the affected nerve.

The pain can vary from person to person and is often described as:

• A sharp pain, pins and needles or a popping sensation in your neck region
• A dull ache, numbness or tingling, or an electrical sensation along your nerve pathways
• Pain that worsens with certain neck movements, such as looking up towards the ceiling or over your shoulder
• Weakness or loss of coordination in your shoulder, arm, or hand

Your symptoms may improve when you place your arm over and behind your head.

This type of movement relieves tension in your spinal nerve.

Additionally, your symptoms might depend on the specific nerve root involved.

For instance, damage to the C6 nerve root can cause weakness in your bicep muscle whereas C7 nerve root damage causes triceps muscle weakness.

How Do Physical Therapists Diagnose Cervical Radiculopathy?

Licensed physical therapists are trained to evaluate and treat musculoskeletal and nerve-related conditions such as cervical radiculopathy.

Your physical therapist will begin with a thorough evaluation of your symptoms and daily activities.

This helps identify the underlying cause of your condition and determine the most effective treatment approach.

Throughout your evaluation, your physical therapist will ask a variety of questions concerning your health history, conditions, and activities.

Some of the questions you might be asked include:

• How did your injury occur?
• How have your symptoms changed your daily activities?
• Does your pain vary during the day?
• Which movements cause you pain?

Your physical therapist may also assess nearby muscles to help rule out other conditions.

These tests might include:

• Testing the movement of your neck and arms
• Checking your tendon reflexes and strength
• Conducting tests on your neck to determine which spinal nerve root(s) are involved

They might also team up with other practitioners to conduct further tests, such as x rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or electromyography (EMG).

Can You Prevent Cervical Radiculopathy?

As we previously discussed, repetitive movements are the leading cause of cervical radiculopathy.

Fortunately, this means that there are many steps you can take to help prevent experiencing cervical radiculopathy.

Let’s take a look at some of them.

1. Maintaining Proper Posture

Practicing proper posture is an important factor in the prevention of cervical radiculopathy and similar conditions.

It helps reduce unnecessary stress on your cervical spine.

Your physical therapist can recommend changes to your work chair to help promote proper posture.

RELATED ARTICLE: How Can Physical Therapy Help Improve Your Posture?

2. Setting Up Your Workstation

Whether you work at home or in an office, it’s important to set up your workspace in ways that minimize force on your spine.

This can include:

• Using a hands-free phone
• Positioning your computer monitor in a way that doesn’t require you to stretch your neck
• Setting up your desk and chair properly for your height

Speak to your physical therapist for more tips on how to set up your workstation.

RELATED ARTICLE: How To Set Up An Ergonomic Desk To Prevent Workplace Injury

3. Exercise

Not only does exercise help prevent cervical radiculopathy, but it can also help you maintain a healthy weight and overall health.

Sticking to your physical therapy treatment plan can help ensure that you’re getting the right amount of exercise for your unique needs.

Your physical therapist can help you with an at home exercise regime aimed at increasing the flexibility of your spinal muscles, your range of motion, and strength in your neck, upper body, back, and core.

RELATED ARTICLE: Why Is It Important To Warm Up Before Exercise?

How Can Physical Therapy For Cervical Radiculopathy Help?

Your physical therapist will use a variety of methods to help reduce your symptoms as well as restore general strength and function.

These include:

1. Pain Management

The first goal of physical therapy is the reduction of chronic pain and inflammation.

Your physical therapist might use a variety of methods to help accomplish this goal, including hot and cold therapy.

Ice is typically recommended within the first 24–48 hours after symptoms begin to help reduce inflammation and pain.

After 48 hours, you can switch to moist heat to help your muscles relax and further reduce pain.

Your physical therapist might also suggest a soft cervical collar for short periods throughout the day to give your muscles a break.

Physical therapists have many other techniques that can help manage pain levels, including dry needling and other manual techniques.

Speak to your physical therapist to determine which pain management solutions will work best for you.

RELATED ARTICLE: Physical Therapy Vs Opioids For Chronic Pain Relief

2. Range Of Motion Exercises

Your physical therapist will help you perform gentle mobility exercises in your neck to encourage range of movement.

These exercises are particularly helpful for those with desk jobs who experience neck stiffness due to too much sitting.

RELATED ARTICLE: Understanding Limited Range Of Motion: Causes, Conditions, And How Physical Therapy Can Help

3. Strengthening Exercises

Physical therapists are skilled at determining which muscle groups require strengthening.

Your physical therapist will target specific areas and help encourage strength building as a method of symptom management.

You’ll start with gentle exercises which will gradually become more intense once you’ve recovered enough.

Your physical therapist will also provide you with at home exercises to help maintain the results you get during therapy.

RELATED ARTICLE: Using Physical Therapy To Rebuild Strength

4. Postural Retraining

Postural retraining is a crucial part of your recovery, as well as prevention of recurring injuries.

Your physical therapist can suggest changes to your workstation and home habits in order to promote good posture.

They can also help you practice how to safely bend, reach, and lift throughout the day.

RELATED ARTICLE: Physical Therapy Treatments For Poor Posture

5. Manual Therapy

Manual therapy, or “hands on therapy” as you might call it, is a variety of techniques that can greatly help with pain management.

Your physical therapist might use these techniques, such as manual cervical traction or gentle soft-tissue manipulation, to help your muscles relax and reduce tension.

Book Your Appointment With Our Physical Therapy Clinic Today

Cervical radiculopathy can start as simple neck discomfort but progress into radiating pain, weakness, or numbness if left untreated.

With the right physical therapy plan, you can relieve pressure on irritated nerves, reduce pain, and regain strength and mobility.

At Capitol Physical Therapy, we take a personalized approach to your recovery so you can feel confident in your progress every step of the way.

We’re proud to serve the community with two convenient locations in the DC area, making it easier for you to access the care you need.

Book your appointment with Capitol Physical Therapy today and take the first step toward lasting relief and better movement.