Pain in the nerve root occurs when a spinal nerve becomes pinched. Nerves are responsible for carrying messages and signals from the brain to the body through the spine. Any disorders affecting the nerves can affect the process of signal exchange.
It can cause pain, numbness, muscle weakness or increased sensitivity. Often the pain is felt in the part of the body where the affected nerve is located, but it can also manifest somewhere else. For example, the legs and arms can often be affected by issues in the lumbar and cervical spine, respectively.
Other names given to this spinal problem are radicular pain, radiculopathy, pinched nerve, nerve compression, or nerve impingement.
Causes
Nerves are often affected by a slipped or herniated disc. A disc is a spinal component made out of two layers – a hard outer shell and a soft jelly-like material that can break through the tough layer and ooze out of its designated space. This leakage can cause compression on the spinal nerves and cause pain.
Other causes include compression of the spine, spinal stenosis, the development of bone spurs, degenerative changes in the spine.
Types of Nerve Root Pain
Radiculopathy can affect all spinal nerve roots in any three major regions of the spine, and as such, there are three main types of radicular pain – cervical radiculopathy (affecting the cervical spine), thoracic radiculopathy (affecting the thoracic spine) and lumbar radiculopathy (affecting the lumbar spine).
Lumbar nerve pain, which affects the lower spine, is one of the most common types, followed by cervical nerve root pain, and then thoracic pain.
For example, the nerve root that tends to get pinched most often is the sciatic nerve, leading to a set of symptoms that are described as ‘sciatica’. Sciatic nerve pain can start in the lower back, from the vertebrae covering L4-L5 nerve roots, and branch down through the buttocks and legs. Lumbar disc herniation is often to blame for the pinching of the sciatic nerve, but there are other causes as well.
Radiculopathy Symptoms
- Lumbar nerve pain spreads from the lower back, down the hips, buttocks and legs, and can go as far as below the knee.
- When the cervical spine is affected, neck pain can occur, which can sometimes spread to the shoulders and arms.
- Pain is accompanied by tingling sensations, numbness, and a burning feeling.
- Slight movements like coughing or sneezing can worsen the pain.
- Limb pain is more extreme compared to back or neck pain.
Treatments
To get rid of nerve pain, the nerve must be freed from its entrapment. In many cases, trapped nerves tend to go away on their own, but there are also approaches you can take to facilitate recovery. One of the best ways to relieve a trapped nerve is to engage in spinal decompression exercises with the help of the Backrack, a natural treatment for back problems, which offers long-term pain relief.
Backrack Spinal Decompression Device
Prevention
The following tips will help you prevent this condition:
- Maintenance of proper posture can save you from a lot of damage to the spine. Keep in check your posture while studying, using an electronic device, and even while driving.
- Adjust your weightlifting methods in a way that protects your back, as the wrong move could affect your entire body.
- Develop a routine of regular exercising and physical activity.
- Your body weight contributes a lot to your spine’s health as your back bears the load and burden of the entire body. Being overweight can affect you and give rise to spinal conditions. Maintain a healthy weight and consume nutritious food.
- Stretching is highly helpful for the health of your back. Include stretching into your daily routine.
- The Backrack is a great tool to use not only for treatment, but also for prevention.
