Radiculopathy

Radiculopathy

Radiculopathy comes from having a compressed or inflamed nerve in your spine that causes pain, tingling, weakness, and numbness along the nerve path. Radiculopathy can happen in any area of your spine, but it is usually seen in the neck (cervical radiculopathy) and the lower back (lumbar radiculopathy). It is less common in the middle part of the spine (thoracic radiculopathy).

SYMPTOMS OF RADICULOPATHY

Before we go over Radiculopathy Treatment, let’s review some facts you should know about Radiculopathy:

  • Radiculopathy frequently comes from irritation or compression of a nerve exiting the spinal column.
  • Radiculopathy symptoms can include tingling, weakness of your arms or legs, numbness, and pain.
  • With Radiculopathy Treatment, symptoms often improve in a 4 to 8 week timeframe.

CAUSES OF RADICULOPATHY

Any activity that places excessive weight or a constant load of pressure on your spine puts you at risk of developing radiculopathy. People who are involved in heavy labor or who participated in contact sports may be more prone to developing radiculopathy.

Radiculopathy can be commonly caused by:

  • Scoliosis (because of the abnormal curve of your spine, it causes compression)
  • Inflammation (direct irritation of the nerves)
  • Mechanical compression of the nerve by a bone spur (osteophytes), a disc herniation, disc protrusion, or thick ligaments
  • Degenerative disc disease
  • Injury
  • Stenosis

TREATMENT FOR RADICULOPATHY

Symptoms of radiculopathy are frequently relieved without surgery.

Selective nerve blocks or epidural steroid injections can help tremendously in quickly decreasing nerve inflammation and helping the nerve to heal. Utilizing fluoroscopic/x-ray guidance, our physician can inject steroid medication around the involved nerve(s). This can rapidly reduce nerve inflammation which often significantly reduces radiculopathy symptoms.

Spine Center Charleston SC

NON-SURGICAL SPINE CENTER

Non-Surgical Spine Center is home to one of the leading spine specialists in South Carolina.

J. Robert Alexander MD combines a variety of treatment techniques to help decrease pain and allow you to maintain a healthy spine. When you come to the Non-Surgical Spine Center, we initially perform a thorough evaluation of each condition you are struggling with to make sure we understand the cause of your pain and how it is impacting your lifestyle.