Radiculopathy is irritating

At its most basic, radiculopathy is a condition characterized by compression and/or irritation of a spinal nerve as it exits the spinal cord. Symptoms include: 

• Pain 
• Feelings of numbness and tingling
• Weakness in the extremities 

Most commonly occurring in the lumbar and cervical segments of the spine, radiculopathy often results from activities or habits that place an excessive amount of pressure on the spine. In this way, people who work physically labor-intensive jobs are the most at risk for radiculopathy. At the same time, radiculopathy can also occur in those who lead a more sedentary lifestyle, especially those work office jobs without consistently good posture. 

Treating radiculopathy conservatively

In the grand scheme of medicine, comparatively little is known about the symptoms, causes and treatment for radiculopathy. What we do know is that radiculopathy very rarely needs aggressive forms of treatment. In fact, most people will see their symptoms disappear in anywhere from 3 weeks to 6 months without any given treatment. However, if the pain is irritating, distracting or encroaching upon your life, it is worth finding out how conservative treatment methods such as chiropractic can help. Chiropractic is a science of the musculoskeletal form that helps people resolve radicular complaints with very few side effects.

Chiropractic treatment for radiculopathy in Houston

Our goals for treating radiculopathy are restoring normal range of motion to the affected area. We do this by providing gentle, targeted adjustments to the joints and bones which correspond to your nerve irritation. Restoring alignment to the spine often alleviates pressure from nearby nerves, but we do not always prescribe chiropractic adjustment for radiculopathy. We also use techniques such as spinal traction to provide therapeutic decompression to the discs in your spine, a further way we can alleviate nerve compression and the pain it causes. If you are suffering from radiculopathy and want to heal quickly, it is worth giving our office a call to initiate the conversation today.