Medical conditions

It is characterized by pain affecting the cervical spine and the upper limb. The most frequent symptoms are pain in the cervical spine and along one upper limb, restriction of neck movements, abnormal sensations in the upper limb such as tingling, burning sensations, reduced tactile sensitivity or numbness, and decreased strength in some arm muscles. The most common causes involve benign processes associated with degenerative changes in the cervical spine joints (zygapophyseal joints and uncovertebral joints), cervical disc herniations, and rheumatologic conditions that may also affect disc, bone, and ligament integrity. These alterations may then lead to compression of the neural structures originating from the cervical spine, triggering the above-mentioned symptoms along the upper limb. Symptoms in the upper limb may vary in location according to the neural structure involved, since each nerve root has its own specific innervation territory.