Sciatica Specialist in West Orange Answers 5 Questions About Lumbar Radiculopathy

June 09, 2021

HARVARD TRAINED back PAIN DOCTORS in New jersey

If you are dealing with a pinched nerve in the spine, then it is most likely radiculopathy. This affliction is caused by alterations in the surrounding bones and cartilage as a result of wear and tear or damage. These modifications may put a strain on a nerve root – the portion of a spinal nerve that departs the spinal cord and travels through an opening in the spine – pinching it.

When a nerve root gets pinched, it often becomes inflamed, resulting in numbness, weakness, and leg, arm, back, or neck pain. These symptoms can be alleviated with prompt and suitable treatment.

Lumbar radiculopathy is the one most people experience, with symptoms ranging from mild to severe, depending on which nerve root was affected. Over-the-counter pain medications, physical therapy, and other lifestyle changes can often be used to address the problem.

If this issue continues to cause back pain, your back doctor may need to prescribe minimally invasive treatments to relieve the pinched nerve, such as a spinal injection. To help you understand more about the subject, Dr George Hanna, a board-certified back doctor at Pain Treatment Specialists, is here to answer a few questions patients usually have about radiculopathy.

 In need of a sciatica specialist near you in West Orange? Dr Laura Lombardi, Dr George Hanna, and Dr Shane Volney are here to answer your questions about sciatica pain.

What are the symptoms of lumbar radiculopathy?

Lumbar radiculopathy can span a range of symptoms that range in intensity, duration, and damage caused. One of the most common symptoms patients usually report is sciatica pain, together with numbness and weakness in the lower back, hips, or legs. You may also experience sharp pain, partial loss of reflexes, and muscle spasms.

Some patients report they feel the pain that worsens when performing specific activities, and in more severe cases a pinched nerve can cause incontinence.

Dr George Hanna warns that the risk of developing radiculopathy increases after the age of 30, and then again after the age of 50 when disc degeneration starts to occur.

What can cause lumbar radiculopathy?

This condition can appear overnight and have multiple causes, sometimes even leading to chronic pain. An injury, a poor night’s sleep, or a little too much effort is enough to cause lumbar radiculopathy. Other conditions that can lead to a pinched nerve in the lumbar area include:

  • A herniated or bulging disc
  • Degenerative disc disease
  • Trauma or injury to the lower back
  • Spinal or foraminal stenosis
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Bone spur formation

Radiculopathy can be exacerbated by conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and obesity, and it can also be inherited, which is why your doctor may want to know your family’s medical history. Poor posture, spinal abnormalities, and repetitive activities are also risk factors.

Women who are pregnant are at a higher risk as well, due to the weight of the baby that may push the nerves and trap them between two vertebrae.

What is the most accurate method of diagnosis?

The method your back doctor will use to diagnose you depends on the type of symptoms you develop. During your first appointment at our pain center, your back doctor will perform a physical examination and will ask questions about your medical history. They will then proceed to look for symptoms that may have affected the spine. The doctor will check your range of motion, balance, reflexes in your legs, and muscle weakness.

A physical examination alone may not be enough for your doctor to put a proper diagnosis. They may also be interested in learning more about your condition by ordering a few tests:

  • X-ray: this allows your doctor to observe the bones in your back.
  • MRI: gives a view of your vertebrae discs, spinal cord, nerves, and other soft tissue.
  • CT-scan: measures the function of your nerves

How is lumbar radiculopathy treated?

After your condition has been properly diagnosed as lumbar radiculopathy, your doctor will start discussing treatment options that should help get you back to a pain-free life.

There are many commonly used treatment options, including:

  • Medication: To begin treating the pinched nerve, you may be prescribed nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines. These drugs can help to reduce inflammation and pain.
  • Physical therapy: Your doctor may recommend you to work with a physical therapist to do stretches and exercises that help stabilize your spine.
  • Adjustments to your sleeping position: Discuss with your doctor the optimal sleeping position for your condition. They may recommend adjusting your sleeping position or sleeping with a pillow between your legs to reduce the pressure put on the spine.
  • Minimally invasive treatment: Steroid injections may be another suited option to treat your condition.
  • Spine surgery: in more severe cases, the doctor will have no other choice but to recommend surgery. This usually happens after other non-invasive methods of treatment have proven unhelpful.

Can I continue to work out until I recover?

Your back doctor will be the only one to tell if you should continue to engage in vigorous physical activities or manage your back for a while. They may recommend some stretches and light exercises for you to do as part of the treatment plan.

Make sure you do not include other exercises into your routine before discussing them with your doctor! The last thing you want to do is aggravate your symptoms by putting too much pressure on your spine.

Bottom line

Radiculopathy can be a painful condition, but most patients usually make a full recovery. To make sure no permanent nerve damage happens, it is always best that you book an appointment with a pain management specialist.

At Pain Treatment Specialists in West Orange, our team is trained to provide you with detailed medical advice and a personalized treatment plan to help you overcome your condition and get back to enjoying your daily life. Book an appointment at our West Orange, NJ Pain Center near the Essex Country Club. You can give us a call at (855) 383-7054 or you can book an appointment online today!

Book a Consultation

Scheduling a consultation with one of our pain treatment specialists is one of the best ways to determine the proper solution for pain relief.

Book Now

Meet Our Team of Back Pain Specialists

All of our Pain Doctors in New Jersey are Harvard Trained and Board Certified in Pain Management

Dr. George Hanna - Back Pain Treatment Specialist in NJ

Back Pain Doctor Clifton & West Orange NJ

Dr. George Hanna

Dr. Hanna is a Harvard Trained back specialist in New Jersey and New York.  He serves as Medical Director of Pain Management.

Dr. Lombardi - Back pain treatment specialist NJ

Back Pain Doctor Clifton & West Orange NJ

Dr. Laura Lombardi

Dr. Lombardi is a Harvard Trained back pain treatment doctor, currently seeing patients in Clifton and West Orange, New Jersey.

Dr. Shane Volney - Back Pain Doctor NJ

Back Pain Doctor Clifton & West Orange NJ

Dr. Shane Volney

Dr. Volney is a Harvard Trained back treatment doctor seeing patients in the NJ areas of Clifton & West Orange, and in NYC.

Dr M Circle Thumb

Back Pain Doctor Clifton & West Orange NJ

Dr. Michael Nguyen

Dr. Nguyen is Harvard Trained and Board Certified in Pain Management. His pain center accepts major medical insurances and Medicare.

Dr. Hanna

Dr. George Hanna

Dr. Hanna is a Harvard Trained back specialist in New Jersey and New York.  He serves as Medical Director of Pain Management.
Dr. Hanna

Dr. Laura Lombardi

Dr. Lombardi is a Harvard Trained back pain treatment doctor, currently seeing patients in Clifton and West Orange, and Paramus New Jersey.

Dr. Hanna

Dr. Shane Volney

Dr. Volney is a Harvard Trained back treatment doctor seeing patients in the NJ areas of Clifton & West Orange, and in NYC.

Dr. Hanna

Dr. Michael Nguyen

Dr. Nguyen is Harvard Trained and Board Certified in Pain Management. His pain center accepts major medical insurances and Medicare.