{"id":7221,"date":"2019-06-12T08:49:22","date_gmt":"2019-06-12T08:49:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=7221"},"modified":"2021-04-13T15:51:16","modified_gmt":"2021-04-13T15:51:16","slug":"14-things-to-know-about-radiculopathy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/14-things-to-know-about-radiculopathy\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Things to Know About Radiculopathy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Any kind of degeneration of the cervical spine (the part of the spine found in the neck) can result in several different conditions that could potentially cause problems. These are usually divided between problems that come from mechanical problems in the neck and problems which come from nerves being irritated or pinched. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cervical radiculopathy is a problem that results when a nerve <\/a>in the neck is irritated as it leaves the spinal canal. This condition usually occurs when a nerve root is being pinched by a herniated disc or a bone spur. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here 8 things to know about the condition that could help anyone who is suffering, someone who thinks they have the condition or even just those with a general interest in learning about the human body and its various faults and frailties. The types of things are varied in terms of what category they fall into, but they are all equally interesting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. \tAnatomy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In order to gain a full and comprehensive understanding of your symptoms and to help you make informed and appropriate treatment choices, it is always advisable to start by looking at some of the basic anatomical features of the neck. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This definitely includes becoming confident and familiar with the many and various parts that go together to make up the neck and also in establishing an understanding as to how these parts work together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyone who is serious about understanding their condition will be prepared to put the hard hours in studying the ins and outs of the condition. This is why doctors refer to some patients <\/a>as professionals in their condition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doctors may spend a long time in medical school, but people living with serious conditions can spend a lifetime getting to know everything about their condition, how it affects them and the types of things which prove helpful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Causes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On the occasion that a nerve root exits the spinal cord<\/a> and the cervical spine, it has to travel down and along the arm. As it makes its way along the arm, \u00a0the way that each nerve supplies the sensation to each part of the skin of the shoulder and arm is affected. It can also supply certain electrical signals to specific muscles that work to move parts of the arm or the hand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whenever a nerve becomes irritated or is pinched, this can cause problems in the nerve meaning to poor function and even a lack of function. How this manifests is a level of weakness within the muscles that the nerve goes to. This can also lead to numbness in and around the skin that the nerve ends up in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whilst this gives us a good understanding of what causes the problem on a deeper level, it is perhaps more useful to look at a few more specific examples for context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. \tBending the neck<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When a person bends or cranes their neck forwards and backward, excessive pressure <\/a>is placed upon the vertebrae and the discs that sit between them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Twisting and lifting the neck in a left and right motion can also cause this to happen, leading to radiculopathy. Any pressure on the disc or compression of the cervical spine can lead to the shock absorption responsibilities of the discs failing to do their job properly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can be pretty impossible to try and live a normal life without bending your neck, however, this is one of the movements we tend to take for granted when we should be ensuring we are well prepared for the bending that daily life requires. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Incorporating some gentle neck stretches into a daily warm-up routine can be a good way to mobilize the neck and protect against any potential issues developing. It might not keep radiculopathy away forever, but it’s a start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. \tInjury to the disc<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Injury <\/a>to the disc or to several discs in the spine can occur when any kind of neck motion or movement puts added or excessive pressure onto the disc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most painful injuries that are known to man is the occurrence of a herniated disc. In this terrible injury, a small tear in the annulus portion of a disc can be so bad that part of the nucleus actually manages to squeeze right out of the center. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The annulus has the potential to rupture or tear at any point around the disc. This tear or rupture can put pressure on the spinal column and the nerves in and around that area, pinching or pinning them in an uncomfortable position. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pain that this causes can be extreme and in many cases, the condition can lead to the development of radiculopathy. Some injuries to disc pass people by without symptoms, but these people are the lucky ones!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. \tAge group<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Herniated discs can occur at any age <\/a>and at any time in life but they are much more common in the demographics of early to middle-aged adults. The painful condition may occur following excessive force being placed on an otherwise healthy intervertebral disc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A good or bad example of this excessive force could be that inflicted by a car accident where a driver\u2019s or passenger\u2019s head is thrown against the windshield or the dashboard. The sheer force and violent pressure on the neck are way above and beyond that which even a healthy disc is able to absorb and serious injury can be the result. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A herniated disc could also occur as a result of a disc becoming weakened over time by the degenerative process that is a natural part of the aging process, whether we like it or not. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people get away without disc problems in their lives, whilst others suffer for a very long time indeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. \tA pinched nerve from degeneration and bone spurs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the wide-ranging demographic of middle-aged and much older people, the occurrence and prevalence of degenerative disc disease as part of the natural aging process can cause growths called bone spurs to develop around the site of nerve roots. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This most often happens with the foramen, which is the opening in the cervical spine <\/a>at which point the nerve root exits to travel into the arm and the hand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If bone spurs are allowed to continue to grow unchecked and untreated, they can cause pinching and irritation to the nerves. Permanent damage can even be caused by bone spurs, which is something that no one wants to happen to their own body, but without surgical intervention to remove bone spurs, this damage can sometimes seem like an unavoidable inevitability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, surgery isn\u2019t always the answer or the first port of call for spinal problems either, given the potential issues that can come with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. \tSymptoms<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The symptoms of radiculopathy can range from those that a person might find mildly irritating, right through to those that a person might find excruciatingly painful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the potential symptoms include things like numbness<\/a>, swelling, tingling sensations, and extreme pain. Whilst the severity of the symptoms can vary from person to person, there is no doubt that the symptoms of radiculopathy are never anything to be taken lightly or underestimated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The condition can make every day seem like a chore or an uphill struggle for someone affected by it. Anecdotally, one person described living with radiculopathy as if they had a pet crow that they opened the window for every morning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pain, or the crow, wasn’t always there when they woke up, but as soon as they opened the window, in it would fly. Whilst this analogy may not ring true for everyone with radiculopathy, it is easy to see how the poetic explanation sums up the condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. \tDiagnosis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Working out what the cause of someone\u2019s neck pain usually starts with a complete history and a thorough and detailed physical examination. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the history and a period of detailed questions and answers, a doctor will want to undertake a thorough examination of the patient, to check for any tell-tale signs or dead giveaways to do with the presence of radiculopathy. These examinations can be stressful but all doctors will do their best to ensure that the process is as painless as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fact that someone is presenting with suspected radiculopathy, however, suggests that they would already be in a considerable amount of pain<\/a>. This list won’t tell you absolutely everything you need to know about radiculopathy, but it is a very good place to start. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As with any set of new symptoms or unexplainable pain, it is always a good away to seek the advice of a doctor rather than to try and diagnose, assess and treat yourself, unless of course, you happen to be a doctor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

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