When patients are first diagnosed with a condition they may ask “what does it mean”? This can be true in the case of Radiculopathy and Neuropathy. At Schrock Medical, we treat both conditions, but it’s important to understand how they differ.
We’ve mentioned before how we like to educate our patients so that is our goal in this post, we’ll break down these two terms. What are they? What are the causes? Most importantly, are there ways to prevent the issues from even starting? We’re covering all that and more below, so let’s jump right in.
Radiculopathy and Neuropathy Defined
Radiculopathy occurs when the patient has a pinched nerve or inflammation of a nerve in their spine. The most common location this is seen is in the lower back which is called lumbar radiculopathy [read more]. Cervical radiculopathy [read more] occurs in the neck, and thoracic radiculopathy occurs in the upper back. Thoracic radiculopathy is the least common [read more].
The symptoms of radiculopathy are generally:
- Pain
- Tingling sensations
- Numbness, and Weakness
These symptoms can occur in the arms, back, legs, or shoulders depending on the location of the pinched or inflamed nerve(s). Not all patients will suffer from all symptoms, and they can also vary based on location.
Neuropathy, also called peripheral neuropathy, is often mistaken for radiculopathy because of the overlapping symptoms. However, where radiculopathy occurs at the root, neuropathy actually refers to the damage of a single nerve or multiple nerves in the central nervous system (the brain and the spinal cord). There are several types of neuropathy, but the most common are:
- Diabetic neuropathy [read more]: Most often, this damages the nerves located in your feet and legs, and occurs when you have diabetes.
- Cranial neuropathy [read more]: This occurs when one or more of the nerves of the cranial nerves are damaged. Two common types of cranial neuropathy are optic and auditory affecting vision and hearing respectively.
- Autonomic neuropathy: This occurs when there is damage to the nerves located in one’s involuntary nervous system. The nerves in the system are those that control your heart and circulation, functions of your bowels and bladder, digestion, perspiration, sexual response, etc [read more]
- Focal neuropathy: This is restricted to one or more nerves in one area of your body [read more].
Additional symptoms for patients with neuropathy may include sensitivity to touch, loss of reflexes, and loss of coordination or balance.
Causes of Radiculopathy and Neuropathy
The causes of radiculopathy include:
- Herniated discs – this typically occurs in your lower back, but has been known to impact the neck area as well
- Change in tissues – tissues that change or shift or change in their size can narrow the space nerve roots travel inside a patient’s spine, or where they exit the spine
- Bone spurs (extra bone growth)
- Ossification (also known as thickening) of the ligaments in the spine
The causes of neuropathy include:
- Diabetes
- Alcohol abuse
- Hereditary and autoimmune disorders
- Chemotherapy
- Inflammatory diseases and infections
- Exposure to toxic chemicals
- Poor nutrition
- Kidney diseases and infections
Treatments for Radiculopathy and Neuropathy
Thankfully surgery is not the only option, it all depends on how severe your case is. Through our unique treatment program one can have success in treating both Radiculopathy and neuropathy.
Preventing Radiculopathy and Neuropathy
As with most diseases and medical issues, the best prevention is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Abstaining from alcohol, ensuring you’re getting the right vitamins, consuming a healthy diet, eliminating and avoiding other toxins, exercising, and maintaining a healthy weight are all helpful in preventing both radiculopathy and neuropathy.
To learn more about these ailments, and how to prevent them, we recommend talking to your provider at Schrock Medical Clinic. Schedule you free consultation to see how we can help you, fill out the form below or call: (308)-270-2837.
