Radicular pain is a kind of pain that results if any of the nerves in your spine get irritated or pinched. In this type of pain, you will feel it travel from your spine down the pathway of the nerve, most commonly traveling into your arm or leg.
Now, imagine a hose with a kink in it. Water doesn’t flow so well, or it may spray out the side of it. The same thing occurs if you have a compressed nerve; you may get pain that radiates out. Such pain often feels sharp, burning, or like tingling and usually follows a specific nerve’s path.
What does Radicular Pain feel like?
Radicular pain is often sharp, shooting, radiating from the spine, and courses in the line of a nerve into the arms or legs; it sometimes extends. It is often described as burning, tingling, or having the sensation of pins and needles. In some cases, this will also be combined with numbness or muscle weakness in that area. This type of pain usually follows a dermatome distribution and therefore is one sided; it can also be initiated with movements that cause nerve pressure, like twisting and bending. The feelings can range from mild discomfort to a stabbing pain, according to the irritation or compression of the nerves.
Who is at the risk of Radicular Pain?
Older individuals, those with physically demanding jobs, those who sit most of the time, and the more obese are prone to developing radicular pain. Being overweight increases the amount of stress put on the spine, while lack of regular exercise can lead to weak muscles supporting it. Previous spinal trauma, family history of spinal problems, and smoking are other risk factors that increase the risk. Practicing healthier options and being active can help reduce those chances.
How does a normal pain become a radicular Pain?
If one of the spinal nerve roots becomes irritated or compressed, then the normal pain progresses to radicular pain. You could also have local pain from muscle strain or joint problems. Then, conditions such as a herniated disk or spinal stenosis can compress one or more of these nerve roots, thereby changing your pain. Instead of remaining in one location, it begins traveling along the pathway of the nerve, actually radiating down an arm or even leg if the nerve is serving such an area.
What causes Radicular Pain?
- It is usually caused by compression or irritation of the spinal nerve root. It can be the result of a variety of conditions, such as a herniated disk, spinal stenosis
- Degenerative disc disease, conditions in which the intervertebral discs dehydrate and lose height, leading to more pressure on the nerve roots.
- Other causes include bone spurs, which grow with arthritis or spine trauma. Pain radiates along the course of the affected nerve, often associated with numbness, tingling, or weakness in the relating area of the body.