Inflammation in the spine can occur as a result of many reasons like herniated and bulging discs, degenerative disc disease, age, obesity, smoking, genetics, bad posture while sitting, putting repetitive stress on the spine and improper lifting of weight. It is referred to as radicular pain and is a painful inflammation in the spinal nerve’s pathway. This occurs because of the pressure on the nerve and the pressure related to inflammation on a nerve which causes radicular pain. This condition is often confused with radiculopathy which is different from radiculitis.
When a patient is suffering from radiculopathy, their nerve or nerves are not functioning properly. The injury occurs in the nerve root and leads to a radicular pain. This results into numbness, weakness, or trouble with the controlling muscles. The pain which starts from the nerve root radiates out to other parts of the body. If the neck has impingement in a cervical nerve, the radial nerve pain can be felt in the forearm. Pain in the back which originates from the lower back can lead to radiating leg pain and affects the foot as well. Radiculitis is the inflammation of the spinal nerve root which can lead to pain in the lower back regions. This can also cause bulging disks, nerve compression, osteoarthritis or tumors. This condition can trigger pain like radicular pain, tingling, numbness and muscle weakness. The basic difference is that one involves inflammation of a nerve while the other deals with the inflammation of the spinal nerve.
Radiculitis is a result of the spinal disc pressing of the nerves which are connecting to the spinal cord. There is also a condition called thoracic radiculitis which refers to a situation in which the compressed nerve roots, which are located in the thoracic spine, between the cervical and lumber regions. The pain radiates from the cervical area and influences the arms, shoulders, neck, chest and fingers. The pain can also causes the chest to have a tight feeling. Lumber pain also affects the gluteal muscles, lower back, legs and feet. Sciatica is one of those problems which can cause pain in the lumber nerve root and can radiate down the leg. This can be caused by a prolapsed or herniated disc. The common term for radiculopathy in the lower back is named is sciatica. The symptoms include numbness, tingling, weakness and leg pain. The pain usually originates in the lower back and travel through the buttock to reach the large sciatic nerve in the back of the leg.
Many patients end up with surgery for the pinched nerves however the surgeries carry risks. Some patients also treat cervical radiculopathy with physical therapy. There are also customized exercises for every patient. When there is no pain relief after few months of therapy then the patient is recommended surgery. For sciatica patients, there are many treatment options which are non-surgical these include regular exercises, heat and ice which can alleviate the leg pain. Some isometric exercises can also be included in the treatment of the patient.
