Neck Pain, Shoulder Pain, Arm Pain & Hand Numbness
Could the Symptoms Be Coming from Your Neck?
Neck problems can produce symptoms well beyond the neck itself. A compressed cervical nerve may cause pain in the shoulder or shoulder blade, pain travelling down the arm, tingling, numbness or weakness in the hand.
For patients searching because of shoulder pain or hand numbness, the important question is whether the problem is coming from the shoulder, a peripheral nerve or the cervical spine.
Common Symptoms: Neck pain or stiffness, Shoulder or shoulder-blade pain, Pain travelling into the arm, Tingling or numbness in the arm, hand or fingers, Weak grip or arm weakness, Symptoms that worsen with certain neck positions
Possible Cervical Causes
Common cervical causes include disc herniation, cervical spondylosis, foraminal narrowing and other conditions that reduce space around a nerve root. If symptoms involve both hands, hand clumsiness or balance changes, spinal cord compression also needs to be considered.
Not every shoulder or hand symptom comes from the neck, so the examination should also consider shoulder disease, carpal tunnel syndrome and other peripheral nerve conditions
Assessment and Treatment Direction
Assessment focuses on pain distribution, sensation, strength and reflexes. MRI may be recommended when symptoms persist, progress or include neurological changes.
Treatment may include medication, rehabilitation, selected injections or surgery depending on the diagnosis and severity. When structural compression is responsible for persistent or progressive neurological symptoms, cervical decompression, ACDF / fusion or cervical disc replacement may be discussed depending on the individual case.
Specialist Perspective
Dr Teo’s cervical spine practice has a particular focus on minimally invasive cervical surgery, cervical spinal cord decompression and cervical disc arthroplasty. The procedure selected depends on the pathology and patient, not simply on the presence of neck pain or a slipped disc on MRI.