Radiculitis of the cervical spine – symptoms, diagnosis, treatment

Cervical radiculitis is an infectious inflammatory disease that affects the spinal nerve roots in the cervical spinal cord.

spinal cord Neurons have two processes: the front and back roots (radix). The front stub is responsible for motor activity, hind – sensitivity of the skin. With the passage of the fibers between the vertebrae they connect and form a common spermatic cord (funiculus).

It is in the processes of neurons are the most vulnerable and most often subjected to compression and inflammatory processes.

cervical radiculitis

Cause of disease

The Radiculitis of the cervical spine is a polyetiological disease, i.e. Its appearance is due to several reasons:

  • infectious diseases (tonsillitis, influenza, myocarditis, vasculitis);
  • destructive-degenerative disorders in the spine (osteochondrosis, intervertebral hernia);
  • spinal cord tumors
  • spinal injury
  • hypothermia.

rarer causes include:

  1. lymphadenitis of the cervical glands;
  2. vertebral artery aneurysm;
  3. tuberculosis of the vertebrae.

General symptoms

Neck and shoulder (or upper) sciatica occurs when the defeat of the 1-4-th nerves of the cervical plexus, the great and small occipital nerves. The main clinical syndrome is pain: patient concerned about attacks of pain in the neck, neck, irradiiruet in the ear. On a scale of pain power closer to 9. The pain is worse when chewing, swallowing, sneezing, coughing, and turning head.

When the infringement of N. Transversus colli spine that Innervate the sternocleidomastoid muscle, the patient may develop torticollis (deformity of the cervical spine, caused by unilateral lesions of the cervical muscles, the subject's head is tilted to the affected side and to healthy is deployed).

For cervical radiculitis is characterized by the disorder to the sensitivity of the skin innervated by the affected nerves (this is often the occipital region and the front surface of the neck).

The 3rd and 4th spinal nerves of the cervical plexus form N. repsi (phrenic nerve), inflammation of which the patient will complain of incessant hiccups and breathing problems.

Clinical symptoms of cervical-thoracic sciatica