Radiculopathy means a spinal nerve root is irritated or compressed, often causing pain, tingling, numbness, or weakness along the nerve path.
Symptoms commonly include neck or back pain with pain shooting down an arm or leg, tingling, numbness, pins and needles, or weakness in muscles served by that nerve.
Imaging helps when symptoms are persistent, severe, or getting worse, or when doctors need to identify which nerve root is affected and what is causing the pressure.
MRI is often used to look for disc herniation, narrowing, or other causes pressing on the nerve root.
Treatment may include pain control, physiotherapy, injections, and surgery in selected persistent or severe cases.
This entry explains the condition. The next step is having a radiologist interpret your specific scan, not a general definition.
