Commonly referred to as a pinched nerve, radiculopathy is injury or damage to nerve roots in the area where they leave the spine. This condition can affect anyone and can be the result disc degeneration, disc herniation or other trauma.

Types of radiculopathy

• Cervical radiculopathy: Cervical radiculopathy occurs when a nerve in the neck is compressed or irritated at the point where it leaves the spinal cord. This can result in pain in shoulders, and muscle weakness and numbness that travels down the arm into the hand.
• Lumbar radiculopathy: Lumbar radiculopathy occurs in the lower region of the spine and is associated with sciatica pain. The lower back is the most common area affected by radiculopathy.
• Thoracic radiculopathy: Thoracic radiculopathy is a pinched nerve that occurs in the upper region of the back, causing symptoms such as tingling, pain and numbness that can extend to the front of the body.

The pain caused by cervical radiculopathy can be described as burning or sharp, stemming from the neck and traveling to other parts of the body connected to the damaged nerve.

Radiculopathy symptoms might include:

• Tingling or numbness in the fingers or hand
• Weakness in arm, shoulder or hand
• Decreased motor skills
• Loss of sensation
• Pain associated with neck movement or straining

Radiculopathy occurs often with aging. As the body starts to age, the discs in the spine start to degenerate and begin to bulge. Discs in the spine also begin to dry out and stiffen. The body responds to these changes by creating bone spurs to strengthen the discs. Unfortunately, this results in the narrowing of the nerve root exit and pinches the nerve.

Common causes of radiculopathy include:

• Arthritis
• Herniated discs
• Spondylosis
• Bone spurs