Cervical radiculopathy is the damage or disturbance of nerve function that results when one of the nerve roots near the cervical (neck) vertebrae is compressed. This can result in pain and the loss of sensation along the nerve’s pathway into the arm and hand. Symptoms can vary a bit depending on the exact location of the nerve compression, but most people experience pain, numbness, and tingling along the nerve route. While treatments for this condition range from pain medications, anti-inflammatory medications, corticosteroids, physical therapy, and even in serious cases, surgery, there are ways you can treat your cervical radiculopathy at home to help ease your symptoms. We care about your health and wellbeing. That’s why we want to help you navigate the healing waters. Here are a few ways you can take your treatment into your own hands and get your life back:
Food and nutrition
What you eat affects your body in so many ways. There are several foods that cause inflammation that you’ll want to avoid, and others that can help decrease inflammation, so you’ll want to ensure you’re getting a good amount of those in your diet. Focus on calcium-rich food, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber-rich foods, and drink plenty of water. Avoid meats that are high in fat along with foods like butter and cream, refined and processed foods, and acidic foods such as citrus fruits and coffee.
Range of motion
Slowly move your head through all motions, only moving as far as you can comfortably. Rotate to the sides to look over your shoulder, tilt your head to bring your ear to your shoulder, look up as far as you can and then tuck your chin as much as possible, then push your chin out and retract it. Taking your head and neck through each of these movements in a slow and controlled manner like this can help to decrease inflammation and relieve the pressure from the nerve. If you feel your neck getting tired or the muscles tensing up, stop. This can cause a reverse reaction and increase inflammation. Perhaps the most important aspect of this however is that if you’ll pay close attention, you can determine what movements cause your symptoms to improve or worsen, thereby giving you an idea of what other activities you can adjust.
Isometric neck exercises
This can help strengthen your neck without irritating the soft tissues or joints of the cervical area. Work your way slowly through those range of motion exercises listed above, but instead of just moving in and out of them, try resisting the movement with your hand. For example, when you look up, put your hand behind your head and push, resisting that backward movement of the head. Hold this position for a few seconds and release. Then look down, tucking your chin and use your hand on your forehead to resist that movement, and release. Do this sort of resistance with each movement as you comfortably can. If your symptoms worsen with any particular movement, stop. If they seem to improve with a particular exercise, repeat a few times.
Ice & heat therapy
Heat can help to improve blood flow and relax the muscles while applying cold can decrease inflammation. You can use whatever feels right, but alternating between the two will often help even more. Apply your heating pad for 5 minutes, then a cold pack for 2 or 3 minutes. One round may be all you need for very mild symptoms, but if the pain is persistent, keep alternating between the two for up to 20 minutes, ending with a cold to make sure any inflammation is taken care of.
While dealing with cervical radiculopathy can be painful and frustrating there are ways that you can help treat this condition in the comfort of your home. Try these tips in conjunction with your physical therapy and doctor-prescribed care regimen.