Did you know that according to an article published in the US National Library of Medicine, around 60-80% of adults are expected to experience back pain and 20-70% of adults are expected to experience neck pain that will affect their daily lives? Back and neck pain can occur as either acute or chronic, depending on the cause.
One cause of back and neck pain is radiculopathy, which is a disease or injury of the spinal nerve roots that causes radicular pain, weakness, numbness, and/or tingling in the arms or legs. It can occur as a result of sports injuries, heavy lifting, bad posture, or diseases that cause the spine to degenerate. Cervical Radiculopathy can be diagnosed with the use of an EMG and nerve conduction study.
When radiculopathy occurs in the neck, it is known as cervical radiculopathy. There are seven cervical vertebrae and 8 cervical nerve roots that can be affected by cervical radiculopathy. When any of the nerve roots are inflamed or damaged, this can cause pain and weakness in the neck, shoulders, arms, hands, and fingers.
When radiculopathy occurs in the lower back, it is known as lumbar radiculopathy or lumbosacral radiculopathy. Generally speaking, the fifth lumbar vertebrae and the first sacral vertebrae are the most common area affected by lumbosacral radiculopathy. When L5 is affected, this can cause pain to radiate from the buttocks to the big toe. When S1 is affected, this can cause pain to radiate from the buttocks to the calf and outside of the foot.
