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Nerve Pain from car accidents

Writer's picture: Ibrahim AshryIbrahim Ashry
Apr 22, 20243 min read

Hey guys, Not sure if the rain last weekend caused alot of accidents on the road but I got a few visits today from clients having nerve pain in their neck and back post car accident.


And that only means on thing .. Its time for me to write up another blog on it and add my 2 sense.




That pain they are all feeling is call Radiculopathy ( the fancy word for nerve pain ). Radiculopathy is a condition where nerves in the spine get irritated, usually due to problems like herniated discs, car accidents or bone spurs. It causes pain and other issues in the arms or legs, along with muscle weakness and numbness.


Cervical radiculopathy (CR) mainly affects people over 40 and is less common than lumbar radiculopathy (LR), which is also known as sciatica. Both conditions cause significant disability and can affect daily life and work.


Treatment for radiculopathy often involves non-surgical methods like physical therapy and manual therapy, which includes techniques like joint manipulation and traction. These treatments can help improve symptoms, but the evidence for their effectiveness varies.

This study aimed to review the latest research on manual therapy for CR and LR, identify its limitations, and suggest areas for future research.



This study looked at different ways to treat two common back problems: cervical radiculopathy (CR) and lumbar radiculopathy (LR). For CR, many studies used traction techniques, while LR treatments varied. Some studies focused on exercises, joint techniques, or neural mobilization. Overall, traction-based therapies seemed helpful for CR, but LR treatments had mixed results. The study found that combining treatments like traction, spinal mobilizations, and exercises often worked best for both conditions. However, more research is needed to standardize treatments and improve outcomes for these back issues.


How Physio helps:


While there isn't a definitive treatment pathway established for cervical radiculopathy, existing literature generally agrees that combining manual therapy techniques with therapeutic exercise is effective in improving function and active range of motion (AROM), with a primary focus on reducing pain levels and disability for the patient. Recent high-quality research has reaffirmed the positive outcomes associated with exercise therapy.

For patients experiencing long-term pain, there may be an element of pain sensitization, and chronic pain often behaves differently than acute pain. Therefore, educating patients about pain and helping them reconceptualize it may be necessary.

Treatment options typically include:

  • Education and advice

  • Manual Therapy techniques such as PAIVMs (Passive Assessory Intervertebral Movements), PPIVMs (Passive Physiological Intervertebral Movements), NAGs (Natural Apophyseal Glides), and SNAGs (Sustained Natural Apophyseal Glides)

  • Exercise Therapy focusing on AROM, stretching, and strengthening

In conclusion, traction techniques are commonly used and effective for treating cervical radiculopathy (CR), reducing pain and improving function. Exercise programs are also helpful but lack standardization for specific conditions. Because of the diverse symptoms of radiculopathy, including possible nerve issues, it's important for all patients to undergo neurodynamic tests as part of the decision-making process. Overall, a combination of treatments, including traction for CR and traction with spinal mobilizations and core muscle activation for lumbar radiculopathy (LR), is most effective. No single treatment method is recommended for both CR and LR.


Research shows that physiotherapy can be just as good as surgery for treating neck problems.



This work is appraised and recognised from :


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