Radicular pain is pain that occurs due to an irritated or compressed nerve. The pain can travel along the affected nerve to other parts of the body connected to the damaged nerve. The person may feel dull, sharp, burning, stinging, or shooting pain. Other symptoms can include numbness, tingling, “pins and needles” feeling, and muscular weakness.
Common Areas of Radicular Pain
Common sites of radicular pain are the lumbar spine, cervical spine, and thoracic spine.
- Lumbar Radicular Pain – The most common type of radicular pain affects the low back, hips, buttocks, and legs. This is often the result of irritation to the sciatic nerve.
- Cervical Radicular Pain – An irritated or compressed nerve in the neck may cause radicular pain. The pain may affect the shoulders, arms, and hands.
- Thoracic Radicular Pain – This pain is felt in the mid to upper back and sometimes wraps around to the side and front of the torso to the ribs.
Causes of Radicular Pain
Causes of radicular pain include the following:
- Herniated Disc – A disc tears or leaks into the spinal canal, irritating or impinging on a spinal nerve. Discs can degenerate due to an injury or trauma or just natural wear and tear from aging.
- Arthritis – Degeneration of the joints and bone spurs due to osteoarthritis can cause nerve compression and radicular pain.
- Spondylolisthesis – A spinal vertebrae (bone) slips out of place onto the vertebrae below it. This may put pressure on a nerve. Spondylolisthesis may be caused by sudden injury or natural wear and tear from aging.
Recommended Treatments
Many cases of radicular pain get better on their own over time with conservative treatments. The doctor may recommend rest, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, and activity modifications. Physical therapy including electrical stimulation, ultrasound, ice and heat therapies, and therapeutic exercises may be helpful. Steroid injections in the spine to relieve pain are another treatment option.
Surgery may be recommended to treat the underlying conditions causing the pain. A discectomy can be performed to remove a herniated disc pressing on a nerve. A disc replacement removes a damaged or degenerated disc and replaces it with an artificial disc. A laminectomy removes bone spurs or parts of a vertebrae that are pressing on the spinal cord or nerves. A spinal fusion stabilizes the spine and relieves pressure on the spinal cord and affected nerves. A fusion can be used to treat spondylolisthesis.
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