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Definition
Radiculopathy is a pathological condition affecting the spinal roots of peripheral nerves (see spinal root disease). The term has no implication for the mechanism causing damage to the root, which may be mechanical compression/ischemia, inflammation, or primary or metastatic tumor. Spondyloarthritis is by far the most common cause of radiculopathy. Radiculopathy, independent of the cause, is, in the majority of cases, a painful medical condition. Besides pain, root injury may also cause weakness and sensory disorder. Weakness is obvious in the limbs, while abnormal sensation may also be detected in the chest and abdomen. Patients with radiculopathy tend to seek the opinion of a specialist in orthopedic surgery, neurology, or neurosurgery, or, when pain prevails, of a pain specialist or an anesthesiologist.
Characteristics
Clinical Features
Pain and related sensory motor symptoms in radiculopathy may...
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© 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Marchettini, P. (2013). Radiculopathies. In: Gebhart, G.F., Schmidt, R.F. (eds) Encyclopedia of Pain. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28753-4_3711
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28753-4_3711
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