What is radiculopathy?
Radiculopathy is the medical term for symptoms caused by compression or irritation of a spinal nerve root. When a nerve root is compressed — by a herniated disc, bone spur, or narrowed foramen — it produces pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness that radiates along the path of that nerve.
Lumbar radiculopathy most commonly produces sciatica — pain that travels from the lower back through the buttock and down the leg, sometimes as far as the foot. The specific pattern of symptoms points to the compressed nerve level. L5 compression produces symptoms down the outer leg to the top of the foot. S1 compression produces symptoms down the back of the leg to the heel.
Cervical radiculopathy produces arm symptoms — pain, numbness, or weakness in a specific distribution from the neck to the hand. Cervical myelopathy — compression of the spinal cord itself rather than a nerve root — is a more serious condition that can cause weakness, balance problems, and in severe cases, paralysis.
Dr. Enguidanos treats nerve compression conditions at HCA Florida Twin Cities Hospital in Niceville, Florida, serving patients throughout the Florida Panhandle and Gulf Coast.
Common symptoms.
- Sharp or burning pain radiating from the neck into the arm, or from the back into the leg
- Numbness or tingling in a specific pattern in the arm or leg
- Muscle weakness — difficulty gripping, lifting, walking, or rising from a chair
- Pain that is worse with specific positions — looking up, sitting, coughing, or sneezing
- Relief with certain positions — lying flat, walking slowly, or bending forward
- Clumsiness or difficulty with fine motor tasks — buttoning shirts, writing (cervical myelopathy)
- Balance problems or a wide-based gait (cervical myelopathy)
- Bowel or bladder dysfunction — urgent evaluation required
What causes it.
- Herniated disc — the most common cause in patients under 50
- Degenerative disc disease and bone spurs — most common cause over 50
- Spinal stenosis — narrowing of the canal or foramen compressing the nerve
- Spondylolisthesis — vertebral slippage compressing nerve roots at the affected level
- Thickened ligamentum flavum — contributing to foraminal stenosis
- Tumors or cysts — less common but important to exclude
- Epidural abscess or hematoma — urgent causes requiring immediate evaluation
When to call us.
Seek evaluation when radiating pain is severe or interfering with daily function, when you have progressive weakness or neurological symptoms, when symptoms have not improved after four to six weeks of conservative treatment, or when any bowel or bladder symptoms develop.
Cervical myelopathy in particular should not be left untreated. The spinal cord does not recover well from prolonged compression. If you have neck problems with arm weakness, balance difficulty, or hand clumsiness — even if mild — seek evaluation promptly.