Neck Pain With Arm Pain: What Could Be Causing It

Cervical Radiculopathy

Also called: pinched nerve in the neck, trapped nerve in the neck, nerve pain down the arm

A pinched or irritated nerve root in the neck that sends pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness down into the shoulder, arm, or hand.

Cervical Disc Herniation

Also called: slipped disc in the neck, herniated neck disc, ruptured disc in the neck

A displaced fragment of a neck disc's inner cushioning material, most often a self-limited problem that settles on its own over weeks to months.

Cervical Stenosis

Also called: narrowed spinal canal in the neck, neck spinal stenosis

Narrowing of the cervical spinal canal or nerve-root openings that can compress the spinal cord or nerve roots, causing arm pain, hand clumsiness, or balance problems.

Cervical Myeloradiculopathy

A neck condition in which age-related degeneration simultaneously compresses the spinal cord and nearby nerve roots, producing a combination of arm pain, hand clumsiness, and balance or walking problems.

Mechanical Neck Pain

Also called: non specific neck pain, common neck pain and stiffness, stiff neck

Common neck pain and stiffness coming from muscles, joints, and discs in the neck, without a pinched nerve or spinal cord involvement.

Shoulder Pathology as a Cervical Mimic

Also called: rotator cuff problems, frozen shoulder, shoulder impingement

A shoulder disorder (such as rotator cuff disease, impingement, or frozen shoulder) can produce arm pain that closely resembles a pinched nerve in the neck, making accurate diagnosis essential before any treatment is started.

Carpal and Cubital Tunnel Syndrome as a Cervical Mimic

Also called: carpal tunnel syndrome, cubital tunnel syndrome, pinched nerve at the wrist or elbow

Nerve entrapments at the wrist and elbow can produce hand numbness and weakness that closely resembles a pinched nerve in the neck, and accurate diagnosis directs treatment to the right place.