Radicular neuropathy
Neuropathy Coming From Your Spine?
The basics
What Is Radicular Neuropathy?
Radicular neuropathy happens when a nerve in your lower back gets pinched or irritated, often from a bulging or herniated disc. This pressure causes pain, tingling, numbness, or weakness that can travel down your leg and into your foot.
- When the L4 nerve is affected, you might feel pain or weakness in the front of your thigh or knee.
- When the L5 nerve is affected, symptoms often run down the outer leg and into the top of the foot or big toe, sometimes making it hard to lift your foot.
Treatments like SpineMED® spinal decompression gently relieve that pressure, helping the nerve heal and restoring normal feeling and movement.
Where it comes from
Nerve Root Compression, Explained
Radicular neuropathy, often referred to as radiculopathy or nerve root compression, occurs when a nerve in the spine becomes irritated or compressed as it exits the spinal column. This pressure disrupts normal nerve function, leading to pain, numbness, tingling, burning sensations, or weakness that radiates along the path of the affected nerve.
For example:
- Cervical radicular neuropathy affects nerves in the neck and can cause symptoms that travel into the shoulders, arms, or hands.
- Lumbar radicular neuropathy involves nerves in the lower back and may cause radiating pain or weakness in the hips, legs, or feet.
Common causes include herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, or other structural changes that narrow the spaces where nerves travel.
Advanced treatments such as SpineMED® spinal decompression and Class IV Laser can repair damaged nerves and relieve the pressure on these nerves, helping to reduce inflammation, restore nerve function, and provide long-lasting pain relief without surgery or medication.
Disc bulges
What Causes a Disc to Bulge?
Between each bone (vertebra) in your spine is a soft, cushion-like disc that acts like a shock absorber. Each disc has a tough outer layer (the annulus) and a gel-like center (the nucleus). A disc bulge happens when that outer layer weakens or wears down, allowing the inner material to push outward. The disc doesn’t always rupture. It just starts to bulge beyond its normal space, which can press on nearby nerves or the spinal cord.
Common Causes of a Bulging Disc
- Repetitive stress or heavy lifting, especially when bending or twisting
- Poor posture or sitting too long, which adds pressure to the lower spine
- Age-related wear and tear (degenerative disc disease), as discs naturally lose water content and flexibility over time
- Trauma or injury: a sudden strain, fall, or car accident
- Weak core muscles, which allow extra pressure on the spinal discs
How we help
Why It Hurts and How We Help
When a disc bulges, it can press on a nerve root, the part of the nerve that exits the spine. This pressure can cause radicular pain, or pain that travels along the path of that nerve, leading to numbness, tingling, burning, or weakness in the arms, legs, or feet (depending on where the bulge is).
At The Neuropathy & Healing Center, we use SpineMED® Spinal Decompression to gently relieve pressure on the discs and nerves. This allows the disc to retract, restore its natural shape, and promote healing, without surgery or medication.
In their words
When the Pressure Comes Off the Nerve
You know when you can get up out of a chair and walk it’s huge, it’s your life back. After I had sciatica, I could not walk from my house to my mailbox. I couldn’t stand up long enough to brush my teeth and now I can walk three times a day. I couldn’t have done this without Dr. Broome. I didn’t even know it was possible.
The neuropathy program has really helped my lower back a lot and Dr. Broome has been excellent. I’ve been very happy with my treatment and have had great improvement with my back, especially with the neuropathy in my legs and feet. If you’re doubtful about having this treatment, I highly recommend it. I’ve been very happy with the treatment.
I’m so fortunate to have found the Neuropathy & Healing Center. I have been in pain for about 30 years and nothing worked where I couldn’t walk anymore and now I can walk better thanks to the SpineMED and myofascial therapy. The neuropathy, pain and numbness in my legs are getting less and I can bend my neck better now. I can turn it and I can stand and balance better.
More treatments
Explore Our Other Care
Start with a conversation
Let’s Trace Your Symptoms Back to Their Source
Tell us where the pain travels and we’ll help you understand what may be compressing the nerve.
No Drugs • No Injections • No Surgery
We believe everyone deserves access to real relief. Flexible financing options, including Affirm and CareCredit, are available to make treatment affordable.
St. Augustine, FL 32086
(904) 217-0542
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