A pinched nerve in the neck, or cervical radiculopathy, sends pain, numbness, or weakness down the arm. At PHI in Beverly Hills, board-certified physicians Dr. Faisal Lalani and Dr. Nadiv Samimi treat it with image-guided cervical epidural injections and selective nerve root blocks, and most cases resolve without surgery.
When Pain Travels From Your Neck Into Your Arm
A pinched nerve in your neck has a distinctive pattern. Pain that starts in your neck or shoulder and travels down your arm. Numbness, tingling, or weakness in specific parts of your hand or fingers. Sharp electric sensations with certain movements. Trouble sleeping because you cannot find a comfortable position for your arm.
The technical term for this pattern is cervical radiculopathy, meaning irritation of a nerve root in your cervical spine. Most patients call it a pinched nerve. The good news: most pinched nerves in the neck respond well to non-surgical treatment. Many resolve significantly on their own over weeks to months, and many others respond well to targeted interventional treatments that address the underlying inflammation. Surgery is reserved for specific situations and is typically not the first answer.
What’s Actually Happening
Your cervical spine has seven vertebrae. Between each pair, nerves exit the spinal cord and travel down your arms to provide sensation and motor function. When one of these nerves becomes irritated or compressed, it can no longer transmit signals normally, producing the symptoms most pinched nerve patients experience.
Common causes include a herniated cervical disc (the most common cause in younger patients), cervical spondylosis (age-related arthritis and bone spurs, the most common cause over 50), foraminal stenosis (narrowing of the opening where the nerve exits), and combinations of disc and arthritic changes. The specific pattern of your symptoms, which arm and which fingers, tells your physician which nerve is likely involved: C6 commonly affects the thumb and index finger, C7 the middle finger, and C8 the ring and pinky fingers.
How Pinched Nerves Usually Progress
Without treatment, many cervical radiculopathies improve significantly over six to twelve weeks. The disc herniation or inflammation that triggered the irritation often shrinks or resolves over time, and the body’s anti-inflammatory response reduces sensitivity.
This natural improvement is real, but waiting is not always the right answer. The pain during severe symptoms can be debilitating, patients who cannot work or sleep suffer real consequences, and for some patients symptoms become chronic. Earlier treatment often produces faster relief and may prevent transition to chronic patterns.
When to See Someone
Consider professional evaluation when your symptoms have lasted more than two to four weeks, when the pain interferes with sleep, work, or daily life, when you have numbness, weakness, or significant tingling, when conservative treatments have not helped, or when you want active treatment rather than continued waiting.
Seek prompt evaluation if you experience significant muscle weakness in your arm or hand, loss of fine motor control, loss of bladder or bowel control, difficulty walking or balance changes, or severe symptoms following trauma. These can indicate more significant nerve or spinal cord involvement requiring urgent evaluation.
How PHI Treats Pinched Nerves
The first step is identifying which specific nerve is involved and confirming the diagnosis, through a detailed history, an examination with specific tests for each cervical nerve, review of imaging (typically MRI), and sometimes a diagnostic injection when imaging shows multiple potential sources.
Cervical epidural steroid injections are typically the first interventional treatment, delivering anti-inflammatory medication directly to the irritated nerve, with many patients experiencing significant relief from a single injection. Selective nerve root blocks are targeted injections that deliver medication to a specific nerve, particularly useful when imaging shows multiple potential sources; a successful block can both confirm the diagnosis and provide therapeutic relief. PHI performs every cervical procedure in our affiliated surgical suite under image guidance, and coordinates with surgical specialists for the specific situations where surgery is the right answer.
Why PHI for Pinched Nerve Treatment
Two board-certified pain physicians
Dr. Faisal Lalani and Dr. Nadiv Samimi both trained in interventional pain at Cedars-Sinai, with specific expertise in cervical procedures where precision and image guidance are particularly important.
Image-guided technique
PHI physicians perform every cervical procedure in our affiliated surgical suite under image guidance.
Diagnostic precision
Identifying which specific nerve is irritated is the most important step. We do this through history, examination, imaging review, and sometimes selective nerve root blocks.
Honest framing of surgical necessity
Most pinched nerves do not require surgery. We tell you straightforwardly whether non-surgical treatment is likely to succeed, where surgical evaluation makes sense, or where both should be discussed.
Coordination with surgical specialists
For patients with significant or progressive weakness or severe pain unresponsive to conservative treatment, we coordinate surgical evaluation.
Concierge, coordinated care
Single-physician continuity from consultation through treatment and return to activity. Patients receive clear guidance and transparent pricing at consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Many cases improve significantly over six to twelve weeks. With targeted treatment, relief is often faster, and some patients experience substantial improvement within days of their first epidural injection.
This depends on the underlying cause. Some patients have a single episode and never experience symptoms again; others have recurring episodes related to ongoing disc or arthritic changes. Treatment addresses current symptoms, while ongoing management of underlying causes affects long-term recurrence.
Brief rest during severe acute flares is reasonable, but extended bed rest typically slows recovery. Gentle continued activity is generally better than complete immobility, with avoidance of positions that significantly worsen symptoms.
The injection does not address the underlying disc or structural cause. It reduces inflammation around the irritated nerve, which often produces meaningful relief. Many patients experience lasting relief because the inflammation cycle is interrupted long enough for natural healing to progress.
Most patients with cervical radiculopathy do not need surgery. The vast majority find meaningful relief through epidural injections, nerve blocks, and conservative management. Surgery is reserved for patients with significant weakness, persistent severe symptoms, or specific structural issues.
Mild weakness associated with cervical radiculopathy often resolves with appropriate treatment. Significant or progressive weakness warrants more urgent evaluation and may indicate the need for surgical consultation. Your physician will assess this carefully.
In most cases gentle continued activity is appropriate and helpful. Specific exercises that worsen your symptoms should be avoided during acute flares. A physical therapist familiar with cervical radiculopathy can help guide appropriate activity.
Insurance coverage and payment options may vary. Please contact our office to discuss your specific plan, available options, and pricing. All pricing is fully disclosed at consultation.
Yes. PHI regularly treats patients from outside Los Angeles, including Las Vegas, Palm Springs, London, and other international locations.
Treatments We Offer for Pinched Nerve
PHI offers evidence-based non-surgical treatments for cervical radiculopathy. Your physician will recommend the right option based on which specific nerve is involved and your treatment history.
- Cervical Epidural Injections, the usual first interventional step
- Selective Nerve Root Blocks, confirm and treat a specific nerve
Schedule Your Pinched Nerve Consultation
A 60-minute consultation will identify which specific nerve is involved, walk through the treatment options that match your situation, and give you a clear plan. Call (310) 856-9488 or book online now.