Radiculopathy

Nerves leading to and returning from the arms and legs exit the spinal cord through small openings on the side of the bones of the spine. For various reasons, such as with a disk herniation or from bone spurs, these nerves can become compressed and irritated and cause pain in the lower limbs. This pain is typically felt shooting down the arm or leg and may be associated with numbness or tingling. Weakness of the arm or leg may occasionally be observed. The drawing below shows a herniated disk causing pressure on the nearby nerve root.

Treatment for this consists of physical therapy, decompression therapy, manipulation, epidural steroid injections, transforaminal / selective nerve injections, and occasionally surgery if the problem persists despite aggressive non-surgical management. The least risky and less invasive techniques should be used if at all possible before resorting to surgery, as most cases respond favorably to non-operative treatment.