Cervical radiculopathy is most often seen in individuals in which age range?

• A. 20s
• B. 30s
• C. 40s-50s
• D. 60s-70s

Answer: (C)

Cervical radiculopathy most often arises from degenerative changes in the cervical spine, such as disc degeneration and foraminal narrowing (cervical spondylosis) that accumulate with age. This degenerative process typically reaches a level where a nerve root becomes compressed in the mid-life years, leading to radiating arm pain, numbness, and weakness in a dermatomal pattern. Younger adults are less likely to have these degenerative changes and are more prone to radiculopathy from acute trauma or disc herniation, while older adults can have stenosis too but the overall peak incidence sits in the 40s to 50s.