Cervical Radioculopathy Caused By Washington Auto Accident

Obviously, I am not a doctor, but as a Washington car accident lawyer and Seattle Personal Injury Attorney I have seen many cases of spinal injuries that result in Radioculothapy. Radioculopathy is the medical term for a pinched nerve which may manifest as symptoms such as numbness, tingling, shooting pain, heat, or cold in the affected area.

The spinal column is made up of 24 vertebrae, each separated by an intervertebral disc. Spinal nerves extend from the spinal column to various parts of the body, providing sensation or feeling. The cervical nerves, originating from the top seven vertebrae of the spinal column, provide sensation to the arms and shoulders. Due to a severe impact, such as a Seattle car accident, or to natural degeneration, the encasements of the intervertebral discs can rupture. This, while painful in and of itself, allows the nucleus of the disc to squeeze out. When not in its encasement, it puts pressure on the nearby spinal nerves.

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When pressure is applied to these nerves, they are not able to function properly. When obstructed, the nerves do not give full sensation to the arm or shoulder. The resulting symptoms can vary from sharp pain to a feeling of pins and needles or complete numbness. These symptoms travel along the path of the nerve, radiating away from the neck and down the arm. Each nerve has a different path and destination, allowing for relatively easy diagnosis of which nerve is affected by analyzing the affected area. Diagnosis is supported by x-rays and CT scans to ensure that a pinched nerve is the only cause of the problem.

Treatment options vary in cervical radioculopathy. Medication is often prescribed by a doctor to control pain, inflammation, and muscle spasms. This will allow the patient to function more effectively on a daily basis, including improved sleep patterns. This treatment plan, however, only treats the symptoms and does not fix the cause. Doctors often ask the patient to wear a soft color for a short period of time to immobilize the neck muscles and allow them to rest and recover. Physical therapy can strengthen the muscles. If these methods do not provide results, steroid injections can reduce swelling of the disc nucleus and relieving pressure on the nerve. This is a short term solution, but can be very effective while it works. The only long term solution is surgery, known as cervical fusion which removes the intervertebral disc completely and fuses the two nearby vertebrae into one piece of bone.

This information is provided by Straight Talk Law, where you can order free information on Seattle auto accidents, buying car insurance in Washington, and other valuable legal information, offered as a public service by King County personal injury attorney and author Jason Epstein and his Tacoma auto accident, Everett motorcycle accident, and Bellevue wrongful death law firm in Seattle, Washington.