Radiculopathy

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Radiculopathy, more commonly known as a pinched nerve, can happen in any  part of your spine but is most common in the lower back and neck area.  This painful condition can leave you immobile and in excruciating pain.  At Spine & Sports Medical Group in Campbell, California and San  Jose, California, the experienced team of physiatrists uses a wide range  of diagnostic tools to identify the cause of your radiculopathy and  provide comprehensive treatments to reduce your pain. Don’t continue to  suffer from radiculopathy and let it control your life. Call the office  or use the online scheduler to start your treatment today. 

Your spine is made  up of a complex network of bones, ligaments, and tendons that also  include the roots of nerves that extend from your spinal cord to  different parts of your body. When these nerve roots become pinched or  irritated, it causes the condition known as radiculopathy.

Symptoms  of this condition depend on the type of radiculopathy you have and  which nerve is compressed. The main symptom of a compressed nerve is  pain, which can vary in intensity and worsen with certain movements.  Other symptoms can also include a loss of reflexes and flexibility,  weakness, numbness, or even paralysis in extreme cases. 

The three main types of radiculopathy are:

This  happens when nerve roots in your neck are compressed and can result in  weakness, tingling, or numbness in your shoulders, arms, hands, or  fingers.

This happens when the compressed nerve is in your upper back and can result in pain in your chest or torso.

When  the nerve roots in your lower back are compressed, it can cause hip  pain and sciatica, which is pain that radiates down your legs due to a  compressed sciatic nerve. 

Your  specialist at Spine & Sports Medical Group performs a physical exam  to diagnose your condition. They may also order imaging tests like  X-rays or MRI scans to get images from the inner part of your spine, or  electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction study (NCS) to measure  electrical signals in your neurons and back muscles. 

These  diagnostic tools allow your specialist to determine the cause of your  condition as well as its exact location. They also help assess your  level of pain.

Based  on your diagnosis, the team at Spine & Sports Medical Group works  to decompress your pinched nerve and provide pain relief.

The  practice uses trigger point injections to reduce pain with  corticosteroid and other anti-inflammatory medicine. The treatment uses  guided injections to deliver concentrated doses of medicine to the exact  location of your symptoms. 

It is a highly effective pain  management tool and is often combined with physical therapy to  strengthen and stretch the affected area. Physical therapy uses gentle  movements prescribed by an experienced physical therapist to reduce  pressure on your compressed nerve.

For severe cases, the practice can recommend surgery to decompress a pinched nerve that’s causing your radiculopathic condition.

To  learn more about the comprehensive treatment options available for  radiculopathy at Spine & Sports Medical Group, call the office or  use the online scheduling tool to book an appointment today.

We  also see patients in the following surrounding cities: Santa Clara, San  Jose, Los Gatos, Saratoga, Cupertino, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Los  Altos, Milpitas, Fremont, Morgan Hill, and Gilroy. Book your appointment  today.