Tell Me Something About Radiculopathy

Are you familiar with the word radiculopathy? To begin with, it's a medical term. That's important, because it means that if you have a situation requiring the attention that comes from a doctor or other professional, you should meet with one, rather than using the details you find here. I'm not a doctor, and the information here is only meant to be used in a general nature. It is not intended to be a replacement for advice from a physician.

Now that we have that cleared up, let's talk about radiculopathy. It's not actually a medical condition, but rather a group of certain symptoms. Pain is a major factor in this issue. The patient may also have difficulty in controlling the muscles that are affected. Paresthesia, which is a sensation like tingling or numbness, may also be experienced. Weakness in the affected locations can also be present. Where do these issues tend to occur? Generally, they take place in the arms and legs. It's possible that they could appear elsewhere, especially if there is an associated condition. For instance, in sciatica, there may be pain in the lower back.

What about sciatica? It's one condition that can be related to radiculopathy. This situation can happen when any of the nerve roots of the spine is either compressed or otherwise bothered. These connect to the sciatic nerves. Symptoms that occur in this condition are generally felt on only one side of the body -- however, if there is also radiculopathy that involves another medical cause then both sides might be affected, anyway.