Nerve Root Compression

What is nerve root compression?

A nerve root compression occurs when the nerve roots in the spinal cord are irritated or compressed by other structures around the spine.

What causes nerve root compression?

Poor lifting technique or poor posture causes injury to structures around the spine resulting in compression to the nerve.

This may include:

• Disc injury (ruptured disc)
• Arthritis of the spine
• Calcification of bone and bony spurs.

Signs and symptoms

• Sharp pain when you rotate your neck
• Loss of movement
• Muscle spasm
• Shooting pain down your arm
• Headache
• Shoulder and arm pain
• Pins, needles and numbness
• Weakness.

Treatment

• Mobilising your neck joints
• Soft tissue massage
• Applying heat to the affected area
• Prescribed exercises (deep neck flexor retraining)
• Neural stretching techniques
• Postural education.