Radiculopathy is a serious and debilitating health issue that affects the nervous system and often causes pain. However, you might be more familiar with the colloquial alternative: pinched nerve. If you believe you are dealing with back pain due to this condition, here’s what you need to know.

What Causes Radiculopathy?

Radiculopathy develops when the discs in your spine become damaged. These components sit between each vertebra (the bones that make up your spine), cushioning them and preventing them from scraping against one another. If the disc becomes thinner, slips out of place or is otherwise damaged, it may lead your vertebrae to press on surrounding nerve roots. For some people, this occurs after an injury, such as a fall or car accident. For others, it’s a symptom of a disease, such as diabetes or osteoarthritis, or it simply develops with age.

What Are the Symptoms?

Depending on where the nerve is pinched, you may experience discomfort in multiple areas of your body. For example, those with cervical radiculopathy may feel pain in their upper back, arms, shoulders or neck, as well as numbness or weakness on one side.

Those with thoracic radiculopathy have a pinched neck in their middle back, so they may notice discomfort in their chest or torso. Unfortunately, this leads many to misdiagnose the issue as a heart or gastrointestinal problem.

Patients with lumbar radiculopathy may experience shooting pains, as well as numbness or weakness in their back, legs and feet. This pain may also worsen when sitting down, coughing or moving the neck and head.

How Is Radiculopathy Treated?

First, your back specialist will begin with conservative treatments to help you manage the pain, such as heat or ice therapy, a neck brace, pain-relieving medicine and steroids. They may also suggest physical therapy to strengthen the supporting muscles and realign the vertebrae.

However, more extreme cases require surgery, including getting rid of bone spurs, fusing of bones or repairing a slipped disc.

If you’ve been experiencing any of these symptoms, head to iSpine Pain Physicians in the Twin Cities, MN. They have locations in Maple Grove, Coon Rapids, Chaska, Shakopee, Sartell and Delano, and they are proud to offer chronic back pain management options to their patients. Visit the website to learn more about their back pain solutions, and call (763) 201-8191 to schedule an appointment at their Chaska location.