What’s the Difference Between Radiculopathy and Radiculitis

The spinal column is one of the most important organs that the human body possesses. It serves a wide variety of important functions. The spine is composed out of a collection of bones called vertebrae, which are separated from one another through another set of rubbery discs. In the simplest terms possible, the spine is designed to facilitate and ensure three vital functions that are important four our species survival: protection, flexibility, and support.

In other words, the spine is essential both for our survival, as well as our general well-being. If neglected or improperly maintained, the health effects can be quite severe. Two commonly confused, but intersecting, medical terms related to the spine are radiculopathy and radiculitis. When it comes to radiculopathy vs. radiculitis, many people tend to misappropriate information, confuse symptoms with causes and make faulty assumptions based on conflicting information. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to explain how each condition manifests itself. Without further ado, here are the differences between radiculopathy and radiculitis.

Radiculopathy

Cervical radiculopathy, also popularly known as ‘’pinched nerve’’, is a collection of conditions that in which one or more nerves are damaged or do not function properly (this specific phenomenon is called a neuropathy). The effects are as varied as the conditions themselves and can involve a radicular pain, a general feeling of weakness and numbness, and difficulties controlling and manipulating various muscle groups.

Usually, the injury itself occurs and begins at the nerve root, but it can spread (radiate) over time to other unrelated organs and limbs, like the feet. In some particular cases, if the cervical nerves close to the neck are affected, people afflicted with radiculopathy might feel radial nerve pain that can reach the forearms. Following the same logic, if impingement occurs in a nerve located in the lumbar-sacral spine or in the lower back, the pain might radiate towards the foot, particularly to patient’s tibia.

As stated above, the causes that lead to developing radiculopathy are vast and could depend on factors such as age, weight, and gender. But in general lines, radiculopathy can occur in the following scenarios:

• Sciatica
• Bone spurs
• Herniated disc provoked by suffering injuries by incorrectly lifting heavy objects, mild car accidents and other types of minor traumas.
• Fractures caused by compression
• Osteoarthritis or spinal arthritis
• Spondylolisthesis, which occurs when one or more vertebras change their positions and sit on the vertebras below, exposing them to high amounts of physical pressure.
• Improper posture
• Inheriting genetic degenerative bone conditions from close family members
• Being overweight
• Aging

In some particular fringe scenarios, radiculopathy can be caused by more severe factors such as:

• Altered blood flow specific to diabetes.
• Cauda equine syndrome, a rare but grave health condition in which excessive nerve root compression has grave effects on the lower extremities and organs near the pelvic region.
• Tumors of the spine
• Scoliosis, which is caused by abnormal spine curvature

Treatments for radiculopathy consists of physical therapy and various types of exercises whose purpose is to eliminate the causes and restore the spine and the nerve roots to their normal functioning states. Although most cases can be improved through conservative means, without surgery, some patients with chronic cases might require surgical interventions. However, this method is obviously reserved for extreme cases, as the symptoms and effects of radiculopathy can be eliminated gradually through natural means.

Radiculitis

Although radiculopathy and radiculitis share some similarities in terms of symptoms and causes, they are two totally different concepts that describe a particular set of symptoms and situations. While radiculopathy is usually a collection of conditions caused by a damaged nerve root, radiculitis (or radicular pain) is a medical term used to describe an abnormal inflammation of the spinal nerve root.

Admittedly, this inflammation might, in some cases, cause various types of pain in similar regions like the lower back. Furthermore, similar to radiculopathy, the pain might radiate towards other parts of the body, like the feet or forearms, and might lead to similar symptoms such as numbness, muscle weakness, and tingling. Doctors usually diagnose patients with radiculitis when a specific subset of symptoms demonstrate that the nerve root irritation has occurred, but traditional means of demonstrating physical abnormalities in the spine such as x rays show no tangible signs of it occurring.

Now, when it comes to radiculopathy vs. radiculitis, this is where things get a little more complicated. One of the most common and widespread forms of radiculitis is sciatica. The medical term ‘’sciatica’’ is not used to describe a specific condition, diseases or illness rather a symptom- the pain above that travels along the sciatic nerve pathway.

Conclusion

To cut things short, while there are many factors that separate radiculopathy and radiculitis, how doctors use these terms to describe depends on a case by case basis. Sometimes they are used to describe separate subsets of symptoms, while in other cases they are interlinked. As one doctor put it, it all comes down to nomenclature.