Question: Hello....My mother has a cervical nerve root impingement; I believe it is known as cervical radioculopathy or as her dr says...."a pinched nerve." She is in a lot of pain in her (L) arm, shoulder and neck.....she has had this pain since Nov., 2016 and it seems to be getting worse. She has very recently gotten over the severe pain of the shingles.....only time she has ever had shingles and she is (91). Her shingles were on the (R) side. The treatments she has rec'd so far have been the following: Epidural injections, a nerve block injection, she has taken Neurotin and it didn't help her shingles or pinched nerve. And, most recently, took Tegretol for her pinched nerve, but had the bad side effects of extreme sleepiness, listlessness and just could not function. Mother regardless of her age, has always been able to function VERY WELL, but since she recently had the nerve block injection, shingles, and the (2) meds (Neurotin and Tegretol), she has not had much energy at all.....she now doesn't get up and get ready for the day b/c she is SOOOO VERY TIRED. I JUST WONDER IF A CORTISONE INJECTION WOULD RELIEVE SOME OF HER PAIN FROM THE "PINCHED NERVE." MOTHER TAKES (2) HYPERTENSION MEDICATIONS: PROCARDIA XL AND TOPROL XL AND HER DR SAYS THAT DUE TO HER HYPERTENSION , THAT SHE SHOULD NOT TAKE NSAIDS. SHE ALSO HAS BAD OSTEOARTHRITIS IN HER KNEES AND MUCH ARTHRITIS IN HER LUMBAR SPINE. AGAIN, I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE ANY ADVICE YOU CAN GIVE ME ON TREATMENT OF HER CERVICAL NERVE ROOT IMPINGEMENT. WITH MUCH APPRECIATION, XXXXXXX LOVELESS E-MAIL: YYYY@YYYY