Radiating Pain & Numbness

A disc herniation is displacement of disc material beyond the normal confines of the disc space. The terms disc protrusion, disc bulge, disc herniation, ruptured disc, and slipped disc all mean the same thing and imply that disc material has left the normal disc space. If disc material herniates, or squeezes out, this can put pressure on the spinal cord or spinal nerves. This can cause severe pain in the path of the nerve being pinched. When the nerve root is inflamed, the added pressure may also cause vague, deep pain and/or cause sharp, shooting pain to radiate along the pathway of the nerve.

Radiculopathy refers to damage or irritation of the nerve roots that exit the spine, commonly referred to a “pinched nerve.” A nerve exits from the spine and travels in a specific path through the skin and muscles. These paths, called dermatomes, are the same for all people although there may be some slight variation.

Nerves are responsible for these three main functions: pain, sensation, and strength. When a nerve is pinched, pain is usually the first sign of irritation, then sensation changes tend to progress. Pain often is described in a variety of ways such as dully, achy, sharp, shooting. Sensation changes often initially are described as pins and needles or possibly tingling that may progress to numbness. Lastly, strength changes may also be noted. Strength changes may vary from very subtle to quite severe.

While sciatica is not an official medical diagnosis, it is a medical term used to describe symptoms of shooting pain, tingling, and numbness down the leg caused by a low back condition. Sciatica is one of the more common terms used when a person is experiencing pain radiating down their leg. You may also hear sciatica called a lumbar radiculopathy. There are many potential causes for sciatica which could put pressure on the sciatic nerve or related nerve roots in your low back to cause symptoms.

The spinal cord is a long tubular structure that connects the brain to the peripheral nervous system through spinal nerves, allowing us to move our body, feel our surroundings, and experience pain. The spinal column protects our spinal cord and is made up of bones, joints, discs, soft tissues, and nerves. The spinal cord is housed in the cervical and thoracic spine and normally terminates at the upper lumbar spine where the nerves then spread out and travel freely through the canal. Cervical and thoracic spinal stenosis can cause pressure on the spinal cord and exiting lumbar spine nerves. This can be caused by several factors. If the central spinal canal or the foramen through which the spinal nerves exit becomes narrowed this is considered spinal stenosis.