While cervical disc pathology can unquestionably produce radiculopathy, many patients presenting with arm pain, paresthesia or perceived weakness do not exhibit the clinical behavior of true nerve-root compromise. In these cases, failure to differentiate the primary pain generator may lead to unnecessary spinal injections, nerve ablation procedures or surgical consultation despite limited likelihood of benefit.
Chiropractic Chalkboard
My gut estimate is that conventional medicine is appropriate for about 15 or 20 percent of the instances in which we're now using it. And I think if we restrict it to those instances, we wouldn't have an economic crises in health care. But doctors don't know anything else. Those are the tools they've been given.
Andrew Weil, MD Well known author and Harvard Medical School graduate As quoted in Time magazine Fall/1996.