Cervical radiculopathy is a disorder involving dysfunction of cervical nerve roots that commonly manifests as pain radiating from the neck into the distribution of the affected root. Acute cervical radiculopathy generally has a self-limited clinical course, with up to a 75% rate of spontaneous improvement. Thus, nonsurgical treatment is the appropriate initial approach for most patients. When nonsurgical treatment fails to relieve symptoms or if a significant neurologic deficit exists, surgical decompression may be necessary. Surgical outcomes for relief of arm pain range from 80% to 90% with either anterior or posterior approaches.
