Anyone who has watched the television drama House knows that it can sometimes be difficult to make an accurate diagnosis because many conditions share the same symptoms. Back pain or neck pain, for instance, might not just be a case of strained muscles caused by stress or too much office work and not enough exercise. They can also be symptoms of radiculopathy—a condition caused by a compressed nerve in the spine.
Image source: Chiro.org
The spine is divided into three areas: cervical (neck area), thoracic (the middle area of the back), and lumbar (lower back). The symptoms of radiculopathy vary, depending upon the specific nerves affected. Nerves located in the cervical spine control the neck and arm muscles and provide sensation to those areas. Similarly, nerves from the thoracic spine control muscles and sensation in the chest and abdomen and nerves from the lumbar spine control muscles and sensation in the legs and butt. Lumbar radiculopathy, which causes pain radiating down a leg, is more familiarly called sciatica.
Symptoms of radiculopathy typically include pain, numbness, and neuropathy, or tingling, in the arms or legs. Patients often also experience localized neck or back pain. Thoracic radiculopathy causes pain that radiates from the middle to the chest. While radiculopathy can occur anywhere along the spine, it most commonly occurs in the lower back and in the neck; thoracic radiculopathy is far more rare.
Diagnosing radiculopathy can be tricky. Your practitioner will star by taking a thorough medical history, focusing on the symptoms: when they started, their location and severity, if anything alleviates the symptoms, and if the patient has any other symptoms. Knowing the location of the symptoms helps the chiropractor determine what specific nerve is affected. The chiropractor will also test muscle strength and reflexes as part of the diagnostic exam.
X-rays may also be taken to eliminate the possibility of infection, tumor, or any other bone condition. Likewise, the chiropractor may want to arrange an MRI or CT scan to look at the soft tissue around the spine and confirm nerve compression.
The good news is that radiculopathy usually responds well to chiropractic treatment, which can include prescribing anti-inflammatory drugs, physical therapy, or chiropractic manipulation. In general, the condition improves between six to twelve weeks. If the radiculopathy persists, more aggressive treatments may employed, such as steroid injections, or, in worst case scenarios, surgery may be required.
Although there is no guaranteed prevention for radiculopathy, exercise, avoiding any activity that puts strain on the affected area, and maintaining a proper weight can minimize the risk of developing radiculopathy.
