A pinched nerve, also known as cervical radiculopathy, is a common cause of neck and arm pain.
It occurs when several structures in the cervical spine press on a nerve as it branches from the spinal cord and travels down your arm, where it provides motor and sensory function.
Two of the most common culprits behind a pinched nerve are herniated discs and bone spurs.
While rarer, a pinched nerve in the neck can also come from lifestyle and medical issues such as: Age-related degeneration Neck injury or trauma Poor posture.
A disc herniation occurs when the soft gel-like material in the center of the disc leaks out of a defect in the stronger outer ring.
The gel-like material can cause pressure on a nerve, resulting in pain, numbness and tingling that radiates from your neck, sometimes into your shoulder blade and down your arm.
Bone spurs occur as a part of cervical spondylosis, which is a term referring to neck arthritis.
Pain from these spurs can radiate from the joints of the vertebra as the nerve exits the spine and travels down your arm.
Bone spurs typically do not resolve on their own.
However, your discomfort and any other symptoms can be treated with conservative treatment like the methods for a herniated disc: NSAIDS, medication, physical therapy and rest.