1. Radiculopathy is a health condition that is caused when the nerve in the spine gets
compressed resulting in pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness along the route of the
nerve. Any part of the spine can get affected with this condition, but it is most
common in the neck and in the lower back known as cervical radiculopathy and
lumbar radiculopathy respectively. Read on to know more about these conditions.
Cervical Radiculopathy
The pain and neurological symptoms that occur due to any type of condition that
irritates a nerve in the cervical spine (neck) is described as cervical radiculopathy.
Cervical nerves are present in the neck at each vertebral level from C1 to C7 and
then branch out to support muscles enabling the shoulders, arms, hands and fingers
to function. Any injury to the nerve can cause this condition and some of the major
symptoms include pain, weakness or numbness and difficulty in moving the neck.
Some patients also feel tingling, or "pins and needles, while some patients feel the
pain as severe burning or sharp.
Lumbar radiculopathy
At times due to several injuries, the nerve in the lower back gets pinched or irritated
and this painful condition is called Lumbar radiculopathy. This is caused due to
the damage of discs; which are natural, spongy cushions between vertebrae (back
bones) allowing proper movement of the spine. Sometimes, the discs move out of
place pinching the nerve in the spine. You are more at risk for a pinched nerve if:
 You smoke.
 You suffer from diabetes, spinal infection, or a spinal growth.
 You are overweight.
Nerves get damage due to various injuries and this condition is called neuropathy.
The damage of nerves that is resulted due to diabetes is called diabetic neuropathy.
This is one of the most common complications suffered by the diabetic patients and
can further affect different parts of the body.