Many neck injuries and conditions exist that can cause pain extending down into one or both of the arms. This radiating pain into the arms is called cervical radiculopathy. Problems in the cervical region (neck) may cause irritation to the nerves in the neck. As this happens, the nerves become inflamed. Since these nerves run down the arms and hands, the brain may perceive the pain as originating in the arms or hands, even though the problem is in the neck.

There are three main nerves in the arms: the median nerve, the ulnar nerve and the radial nerve. Each of these nerves originates at certain levels in the neck. The location of the pain in the arm may indicate where the problem lies in the neck.

One cause of cervical radiculopathy is degenerative disc disease. The discs are located in the spine between the vertebral bones of the spine. The discs are circular and flat in shape and are made of a thick fibrous leather-like tissue. When the disc begins to degenerate, it loses height and becomes less resilient. This condition can irritate the nerves.

Cervical strains may also cause cervical radiculopathy. Cervical strains are usually caused by injuries such as being struck on the head by a heavy object, or automobile accidents. When these injuries occur, the muscles, tendons and ligaments may become inflamed, thus irritating nerves in the neck region.

Osteoarthritis is another condition that can create cervical radiculopathy. As the arthritis progresses, bony spurs become larger and increasingly prevalent. Eventually, these spurs can begin to irritate the nerves in the neck.

Brachial plexus injuries are still another cause of cervical radiculopathy. The brachial plexus is a large bundle of nerves located where many of the nerves of the neck combine and then split into the nerves of the arm. Injury to the brachial plexus may be from a neck trauma, contact sports and motor vehicle accidents. It is easy to see why injuring this nerve bundle can cause cervical radiculopathy, since it directly affects the path of the nerve impulses.

There may be many other causes of cervical radiculopathy, such as severe neck muscle spasms, cancer lesions in the neck, infections in the neck region, as well as many other disease processes.