Radiculopathy

Radiculopathy refers to a set of conditions in which one or more nerves are affected and do not work properly (a neuropathy). The location of the injury is at the level of the nerve root. This can result in pain, weakness, numbness, or difficulty controlling specific muscles.

Radiculopathy is caused by compression or irritation of the nerves as they exit the spine. This can be due to mechanical compression of the nerve by a disc herniation, a bone spur (osteophytes) from osteoarthritis, or from thickening of surrounding ligaments.

The symptoms of radiculopathy depend on which nerves are affected. Symptoms of Radiculopathy include:

• Numbness and tingling in the arms or legs
• Localized neck or back pain
• Hypersensitivity to light touch that feels painful in the area involved
• Weakness and loss of coordination

Initial treatment will involve thorough medical history and physical exam, including the patient’s symptoms. To help detect Radiculopathy, Robert Louis, MD conducts a neurological exam and may request for diagnostic imaging to find the exact location that’s causing the symptoms of Radiculopahy such as an MRI which is the gold standard for providing the highest level of imaging of the spine, a CT Scan which may also be helpful in examining bone quality alignment and evaluation of fractures and other conditions, or an EMG which looks at the electrical activity along the nerve and can show if there is damage to the nerve.

Most people can obtain good relief of their symptoms of radiculopathy with conservative treatment. This may include anti-inflammatory medications, physical therapy or chiropractic treatment, and avoiding activity that strains the neck or back. The majority of radiculopathy patients respond well to this conservative treatment, and symptoms often improve within 6 weeks to 3 months. If patients do not improve with the treatments listed above they may benefit from an epidural steroid injection. If treatments are unsuccessful and the symptoms are severe, surgery may be an option. The goal of the surgery is to remove the compression from the affected nerve. Depending on the cause of the radiculopathy, this can be done by a laminectomy or a discectomy.

Robert Louis, MD specializes in minimally invasive spine surgery, wherein he incorporates his education, experience and training in cutting edge technology and instrumentation. Below are the treatment options for radiculopathy:

• Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF)
• Cervical Disc Replacement
• Cervical Decompression