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Degenerative cervical radiculopathy: diagnosis and conservative treatment. A review
Author(s) -
Kuijper B.,
Tans J. Th. J.,
Schimsheimer R. J.,
Van Der Kallen B. F. W.,
Beelen A.,
Nollet F.,
De Visser M.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
european journal of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.881
H-Index - 124
eISSN - 1468-1331
pISSN - 1351-5101
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-1331.2008.02365.x
Subject(s) - medicine , cervical radiculopathy , conservative treatment , magnetic resonance imaging , cervical spondylosis , surgery , cervical nerve , degenerative disease , cervical vertebrae , radiology , nerve root , cervical spine , central nervous system disease , pathology , alternative medicine
Degenerative cervical radiculopathy: clinical diagnosis and conservative treatment. A review. To provide a state‐of‐the‐art assessment of diagnosis and non‐surgical treatment of degenerative cervical radiculopathy a literature search for studies on epidemiology, diagnosis including electrophysiological examination and imaging studies, and different types of conservative treatment was undertaken. The most common causes of cervical root compression are spondylarthrosis and disc herniation. Diagnosis is made mainly on clinical grounds, although there are no well‐defined criteria. Provocative tests like the foraminal compression test are widely used but not properly evaluated. The clinical diagnosis of degenerative cervical radiculopathy can be confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging. The role of electromyography is mainly to rule out other conditions. Cervical radiculopathy is initially treated conservatively, although no treatment modality has been evaluated in a randomized controlled trial. Degenerative cervical radiculopathy: diagnosis and conservative treatment. A review.