Radicular pain, or radiculitis (from the ), is
pain
Pain is a distressing feeling often caused by intense or damaging Stimulus (physiology), stimuli. The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as "an unpleasant sense, sensory and emotional experience associated with, or res ...
"radiated" along the
dermatome Dermatome may refer to:
* Dermatome (anatomy), an area of skin that is supplied by a single pair of dorsal roots
* Dermatome (embryology), the portion of the embryonic paraxial mesoderm, the somite, which gives rise to dermis
* Dermatome (instrument ...
(sensory distribution) of a
nerve
A nerve is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of nerve fibers (called axons). Nerves have historically been considered the basic units of the peripheral nervous system. A nerve provides a common pathway for the Electrochemistry, electrochemical nerv ...
due to inflammation or other irritation of the
nerve root A nerve root () is the initial segment of a nerve leaving the central nervous system. Nerve roots can be classified as:
* Cranial nerve roots: the initial or proximal segment of one of the twelve pairs of cranial nerves leaving the central nervous s ...
(
radiculopathy
Radiculopathy (; ), also commonly referred to as pinched nerve, refers to a set of conditions in which one or more nerves are affected and do not work properly (a neuropathy). Radiculopathy can result in pain (radicular pain), weakness, altered se ...
) at its connection to the
spinal column
The spinal column, also known as the vertebral column, spine or backbone, is the core part of the axial skeleton in vertebrates. The vertebral column is the defining and eponymous characteristic of the vertebrate. The spinal column is a segmen ...
.
A common form of radiculitis is
sciatica
Sciatica is pain going down the leg from the lower back. This pain may go down the back, outside, or front of the leg. Onset is often sudden following activities such as heavy lifting, though gradual onset may also occur. The pain is often desc ...
– radicular pain that radiates along the
sciatic nerve
The sciatic nerve, also called the ischiadic nerve, is a large nerve in humans and other vertebrate animals. It is the largest branch of the sacral plexus and runs alongside the hip joint and down the right lower limb. It is the longest and widest ...
from the lower spine to the lower back, gluteal muscles, back of the upper thigh, calf, and foot as often secondary to nerve root irritation from a
spinal disc herniation
A disc herniation or spinal disc herniation is an injury to the intervertebral disc between two vertebrae, usually caused by excessive strain or trauma to the spine. It may result in back pain, pain or sensation in different parts of the body, ...
or from
osteophytes
Osteophytes are exostoses (bony projections) that form along joint margins. They are distinct from enthesophytes, which are bony projections that form at the attachment of a tendon or ligament. Osteophytes are not always distinguished from exost ...
in the
lumbar
In tetrapod anatomy, lumbar is an adjective that means of or pertaining to the abdominal segment of the torso, between the diaphragm (anatomy), diaphragm and the sacrum.
Naming and location
The lumbar region is sometimes referred to as the lowe ...
region of the spine. Radiculitis indicates inflammation of the spinal nerve root, which may lead to pain in that nerve's distribution without weakness – as opposed to
radiculopathy
Radiculopathy (; ), also commonly referred to as pinched nerve, refers to a set of conditions in which one or more nerves are affected and do not work properly (a neuropathy). Radiculopathy can result in pain (radicular pain), weakness, altered se ...
. When the radiating pain is associated with numbness or weakness, the diagnosis is radiculopathy if the lesion is at the nerve root, or
myelopathy
Myelopathy describes any neurologic deficit related to the spinal cord.
When due to trauma, myelopathy is known as (acute) spinal cord injury. When inflammatory, it is known as myelitis. Disease that is vascular in nature is known as vascular ...
if at the spinal cord itself.
See also
*
Intervertebral disc
An intervertebral disc (British English), also spelled intervertebral disk (American English), lies between adjacent vertebrae in the vertebral column. Each disc forms a fibrocartilaginous joint (a symphysis), to allow slight movement of the ver ...
*
Spinal disc herniation
A disc herniation or spinal disc herniation is an injury to the intervertebral disc between two vertebrae, usually caused by excessive strain or trauma to the spine. It may result in back pain, pain or sensation in different parts of the body, ...
*
Arachnoiditis
Arachnoiditis is an inflammatory condition of the arachnoid mater or 'arachnoid', one of the membranes known as meninges that surround and protect the central nervous system. The outermost layer of the meninges is the dura mater (Latin for hard ...
References
External links
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Musculoskeletal disorders