Treatment of Radiculitis

About the disease

Radiculitis is a disease, during which person suffers from pain, originating in the nerve, where spinal column connects to its root. Even though radiculitis originates in the spine, person can also feel pain in the arms, legs and even neck. It usually develops when nerve roots of the spine become pinched or irritated. As a result, they can not work properly and start sending painful symptoms to the brain. Even though radiculitis can affect any part of the spine, in 70% the irritation originated in the lower spine, pain, which radiculitis causes, is commonly known as radicular pain.

This condition needs to be treated early, otherwise it can have many complications, including inability of a person to move freely. At first a person feels moderate pain which appears only during certain movements and position of the body. With time these symptoms worsen and start to produce radiating pain, which does not subside even at the nighttime. Most often radiculitis is caused by compression of the spinal nerve. Such compression can develop due to injury, age or lack of exercise. Stenosis of the spine can also be a contributing factor to this disease.

Symptoms

• Numbness
• Pain in the spine
• Sensation of tingling
• Fatigue
• Restricted motion ability
• Muscle weakness
• Burning sensation in the hips and lower back

Diagnosis

• During general examination a doctor will ask you to bend and move in different way to determine the exact source of pain.
• MRI, produced by dye injection in the spine, creates precise images of the spinal cord, its soft tissues to determine if they were damaged.
• EMG test is used if there is suspicion of the nerve compression, as it shows if there are problems with nerves. EMG also helps determine if a patient has radiculitis or radiculopathy.

Treatment

• Conservative treatment usually uses special anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce the pain of a person. Physical therapy and exercises are also very effective in helping a person strengthen back muscles. Cold/heat therapy is used to also alleviate the pain and reduce irritation of the nerves. Conservative treatment usually lasts around 6 weeks. During this time doctors are able to cure the compression of the nerve.
• Surgery is recommended if there is high suspicion of the nerve death. During surgery a doctor relieves nerve pressure by removing protruded discs or damaged lumbar facets.

Authors: Dr. Vadim Zhiliuk, Dr. Sergey Pashchenko