WHAT IS BRACHIALGIA?

Brachialgia is a technical term for arm pain. It is used when the pain is thought to be due to a
problem with the nerves, most frequently a compressed or pinched nerve in the neck.

ON THIS PAGE
How does brachialgia occur?

Symptoms

How is brachilagia treated?

Surgery

HOW DOES BRACHIALGIA OCCUR?

The spinal canal and intervertebral foraminae are bony tunnels in the spine. The spinal cord and
spinal nerves (nerve roots) run through these. When the size of these tunnels is reduced, there is
less room for the spinal nerves and/or spinal cord. As a result, pressure may be placed on these
structures.

SYMPTOMS
Symptoms of neural (nerve or spinal cord) compression include pain in the neck, shoulder blade
or arm. Numbness, tingling sensations, and weakness are often associated with brachialgia.

Disorders that can cause nerve root compression and brachilagia include spinal stenosis,
degenerative disc disease, a bulging or prolapsed intervertebral disc, bony spurs (osteophytes),
or spondylosis (osteoarthritis of the spine). Commonly, two or more of these conditions are seen
together.

HOW IS BRACHILAGIA TREATED?

There are a number of treatment options for brachilagia, and these will depend upon your specific
situation:

PAIN MEDICATIONS
A number of medications may be useful for this type of pain. These include analgesics,
membrane stabilising agents, anticonvulsants, and Pregabalin. Special medical treatments such
as Ketamine infusions may be useful in some situations.

NERVE SHEATH INJECTIONS

Local anaesthetic may be injected through the skin of the neck, under CT scan or X-ray guidance,
around the compressed nerve. This is also known as a foraminal block. Patients frequently
achieve a significant benefit from this procedure, and surgery can sometimes be delayed or even
avoided. Unfortunately, the benefit obtained from this procedure is usually only temporary, and it
tends to wear off after several days, weeks, or sometimes months. This procedure is also an
excellent diagnostic tool, especially when the MRI scan suggests that multiple nerves are
compressed and your neurosurgeon would like to know exactly which nerve is causing your
symptoms. These procedures are best co-ordinated by an interventional pain specialist, as the
blocks may be followed by other low risk needle-type procedures such as pulsed radiofrequency
neurotomies.