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Radiculopathy is a diagnosis commonly made by physicians in primary care specialties, orthopedics, physiatry, and neurology. The diagnosis may be suggested by symptoms of pain, numbness , paresthesia , and weakness in a pattern consistent with the distribution of a particular nerve root , such as sciatica .
Radicular pain, or radiculitis (from the Latin: radicula, lit. 'small root'), is pain "radiated" along the dermatome (sensory distribution) of a nerve due to inflammation or other irritation of the nerve root (radiculopathy) at its connection to the spinal column. [1]
Radiculopathy is characterized by sensory and motor disturbances, such as severe pain in the neck, shoulder, arm, back, or leg, accompanied by muscle weakness. Less commonly, direct pressure on the spinal cord (typically in the cervical spine) may result in myelopathy , characterized by global weakness, gait dysfunction, loss of balance, and ...
When a single spinal nerve root is compressed, the resulting clinical outcome is termed radiculopathy, and is usually labeled according to the specific nerve root compressed (hence compression of the nerve root exiting the spinal column below the left-sided pedicle of the L5 vertebra will be diagnosed as "left L5 radiculopathy").
Radiculopathy is commonly called the "root". In addition to pain, nerve damage may lead to impaired muscle control. In addition to pain, nerve damage may lead to impaired muscle control. Typically, mechanical dysfunction is caused by pressure on the nerve root or shock, affecting both the lower limbs and arms' roots.
Radiculopathy (with or without radicular pain), [20] a neurologic condition in which nerve root dysfunction causes objective signs such as weakness, loss of sensation, and loss of reflex. Cauda equina syndrome: [22] lower extremity pain, weakness, numbness that may involve perineum and buttocks, associated with bladder and bowel dysfunction.
Spurling's test is somewhat specific when used for individuals with an abnormal electromyogram study and is a relatively sensitive physical examination maneuver in diagnosing cervical spondylosis or acute cervical radiculopathy.
To rule out confounding conditions such as radiculopathy or myelopathy, an MRI of the cervical or lumbar spine is often obtained. If plexopathy is suspected after imaging, an EMG performed by a neurologist or physiatrist can help confirm a plexopathy, and clarify the localization within the brachial or lumbosacral plexus.