Patient education: Radiculopathy (The Basics)

What is radiculopathy? — "Radiculopathy" is the medical term for the pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling that happens when nerves coming from the spinal cord get pinched or damaged. Radiculopathy can affect different parts of the body, depending on which nerve or group of nerves is affected. People sometimes refer to radiculopathy as having a "pinched nerve."

Here are 2 common examples of radiculopathy:

●Cervical radiculopathy – People with this type of radiculopathy have pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling down one or both arms. The condition happens when one or more of the nerves that go from the spine to the arm get pinched or damaged.

●Lumbosacral radiculopathy – People with this type of radiculopathy have pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling in the buttocks or down the leg. The condition happens when one or more of the nerves that go from the spine to the foot and leg get pinched or damaged. People sometimes refer to the symptoms of this type of radiculopathy as "sciatica."

What causes radiculopathy? — Radiculopathy is usually caused by a problem with the back. To understand radiculopathy, it's helpful to first learn a little about the back and spine.

The back is made up of (figure 1):

●Vertebrae – A stack of bones that sit on top of one another like a stack of coins. Each of these bones has a hole in the center. When stacked, the bones form a hollow tube that protects the spinal cord.

●Spinal cord and nerves – The spinal cord is the highway of nerves that connects the brain to the rest of the body. It runs through the hole in the center of the vertebrae. Nerves branch out from the spinal cord and pass in between the vertebrae. From there they connect to the arms, the legs, and the organs. (This is why problems in the back can cause leg pain or bladder problems.)

●Discs – Rubbery discs sit in between each of the vertebrae to add cushion and allow movement. The discs have a tough outer shell and jelly-like center.

●Muscles, tendons, and ligaments – Together the muscles, tendons, and ligaments are called the "soft tissues" of the back. These soft tissues support the back and help hold it together.

Radiculopathy can happen when changes in the back cause a nerve to get pinched or damaged. This can happen if:

●The vertebrae form bumps called bone spurs, which press on nearby nerves. (People with a condition called "spinal stenosis" often have this problem.)

●The discs between the vertebrae break open and bulge out, causing them to press on or irritate nearby nerves. (A disc that breaks open and bulges is called a "herniated disc.")

●Other medical conditions, such as diabetes, infection, inflammation, or a tumor injure the nerves near the spinal cord.

Should I see a doctor or nurse? — If you have new pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling that seems to spread out to your arms or legs from your spine, see your doctor or nurse.

Will I need tests? — Maybe. Doctors can tell a lot about a person's radiculopathy based on which parts of the body are affected and how. Because of that, you might not need any tests, especially if you have had symptoms only for a short time. Still, if your doctor is concerned about nerve damage, they might order one or more of these tests:

●Imaging tests – Imaging tests, such as X-rays, MRIs, or CT scans, create pictures of the inside of the body. These imaging tests can show problems with the back like those described above.

●Electromyography (also called "EMG" or “nerve conduction study”) – During this test, a technician or doctor checks how well electrical pulses travel across nerves to the part of your body that has symptoms. The test helps show whether the nerves controlling that body part are working right.

How is radiculopathy treated? — Many people with radiculopathy do not need formal treatment. In some cases, the radiculopathy goes away as the back and nerves heal. In other cases, people find ways to cope with their symptoms.

When people do get treatment, the treatments can include:

●Pain medicines that you can get without a prescription (If these do not work, stronger prescription pain medicines are available.)

●Medicines to relax the muscles (called muscle relaxants)

●Avoiding activities that make the pain worse

●Injections of medicines that numb the back or reduce swelling

●Physical therapy to learn special exercises and stretches

●Surgery to repair the problem causing symptoms

More on this topic

Patient education: Neck pain (The Basics)
Patient education: Whiplash (The Basics)
Patient education: Low back pain in adults (The Basics)
Patient education: Herniated disc (The Basics)
Patient education: Spinal stenosis (The Basics)

Patient education: Neck pain (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Low back pain in adults (Beyond the Basics)