What's The Difference Between Radiculopathy vs Neuropathy

Dealing with Nerve Injuries From Car Accidents

Numerous injuries, including nerve injuries, can arise from a car crash and have a major and lasting impact on a person’s health and quality of life. When the body experiences the force and trauma from a vehicular crash, nerves can be damaged.

It is important to get legal counsel who understands the different injuries that may arise from a car accident and how they can affect the victim’s life. A seasoned and reputable personal injury lawyer can help victims get the proper medical and sufficient financial help that they deserve.

What is Radiculopathy?

When a nerve root close to a vertebra compresses, it can cause damage or interfere with nerve function. This condition is known as radiculopathy. Stated differently, this is the result of constricted spinal column nerves, which can lead to a variety of issues.

Radiculopathy can cause weakness, altered sensation, pain (radicular pain), or trouble regulating particular muscles. Also known as a pinched nerve, radiculopathy occurs when the nerve is compressed by surrounding bone or tissue, including muscles, tendons, or cartilage, impairing its ability to function. The location of the injury or compressed nerve root determines whether or not this pain spreads to other areas of the body.

Common Symptoms of Radiculopathy

Common radiculopathy symptoms include the following:

The tissues that may be affected include the discs between vertebrae, tendons, and bones. Radiculopathy symptoms may arise if the tissues move or if the space surrounding them gets smaller. Radiculopathy is often caused by a progressive deterioration of the spine. On the other hand, trauma or a spinal injury may also be the cause. Other causes of radiculopathy include:

Types of Radiculopathy

Depending on where the compressed nerves are, radiculopathy nerve damage can manifest at different levels of the spine and take distinct forms. These are a few typical kinds of radiculopathy:

What is Neuropathy?

A variety of illnesses affecting the central nervous system are together referred to as neuropathy. It is usually used to describe any kind of inflammation that affects a nerve or the peripheral nervous system.

Symptoms of Neuropathy

Some of its possible neuropathy symptoms are:

Types of Neuropathy

Neuropathy is classified based on the affected nerves. Some common forms of neuropathy are:

Cranial Neuropathy

The human body is composed of twelve cranial nerves. Cranial neuropathy is the result of injury to one of these twelve nerves. Optic neuropathy is the injury to the optic nerve. We refer to damage to the nerve that controls hearing as auditory neuropathy.

Peripheral Neuropathy

Peripheral neuropathy occurs when nerve issues outside of the brain and spinal cord cause symptoms of neuropathy. Put another way, peripheral neuropathy results from injury to the peripheral nerve system. Damaged multiple peripheral nerves can result in thigh, hip, and leg pain.

Autonomic Nerve Neuropathy

Autonomic neuropathy is the damage to the nerves of the involuntary nervous system or the nerves controlling unconscious functions. Autonomic nerves regulate the body’s independent processes, including the following:

This happens when injury is localized to a single nerve or a small cluster of nerves in a particular body region. Additionally, the discomfort that results is confined to a single spot on the body.

What is Sciatica?

The term sciatica describes pain that radiates along the sciatic nerve’s course, which is the body’s longest nerve. The sciatic nerve originates in the lower back spinal nerve root and travels down each leg’s back through the buttocks. Sciatica usually arises from compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve, causing pain, tingling, numbness, or weakening along its course.

Symptoms of Sciatica

Sciatica symptoms can vary in severity. They usually include the following:

Can Nerve Injuries Be Treated?

Nerve damage, such as radiculopathy and neuropathy, are often treatable to achieve better outcomes and at best, healthy nerve function. But because they are such intricate structures, nerves do not heal as quickly as bones, ligaments, and tendons do. Some damage to the nerves causes some degree of permanent dysfunction (loss of normal function) in the hand or fingers even with the best care.

Common treatment options for nerve damage are:

Medications: Pain brought on by nerve damage may be treated with medications. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs) or prescription painkillers are some examples.

Surgery: Surgery might be required in cases of severe nerve injury to reconstruct or repair the injured nerve. Surgical procedures may involve nerve repair, which involves sewing the broken ends of a nerve back together, or nerve grafting, which involves using a healthy nerve to fill in the gap left by a damaged nerve. In certain situations, healthy nerves may be rerouted using nerve transfer surgery to restore function to areas damaged by nerve injury.

Nerve Blocks: To temporarily block pain signals and reduce inflammation, nerve blocks entail injecting medication, such as a local anesthetic or corticosteroid, close to the afflicted nerve or affected nerve root. Nerve blocks provide relief for acute and chronic nerve pain caused by nerve disorders.

Conservative Management: Conservative treatments for mild nerve injuries include rest, modifying one’s activities, and physical therapy. Enhancing range of motion, strengthening muscles, and accelerating nerve repair are all possible with physical therapy.

Regenerative Therapy: In some cases of nerve injury, new regenerative therapies including stem cell therapy and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections could help heal and regenerate damaged nerve tissues.

Radiculopathy vs Neuropathy: Main Differerences

Radiculopathy and neuropathy frequently get confused with one another due to their similar symptoms, even by medical professionals like neurosurgeons and spinal specialists. Although they both address nerve injury, the distinction lies in where the issue is. Radiculopathy is the term for an injury that occurs at or close to the root of a nerve along the spine. Peripheral nerve injury that occurs outside of the spinal cord is known as neuropathy.

Can you Seek Damages for Radiculopathy and Neuropathy?

It is possible to pursue damages for vehicle accident-related radiculopathy and neuropathy, particularly if the injuries were caused directly by the carelessness or misconduct of another person. People who have been injured in auto accidents because of someone else’s carelessness may be eligible for reimbursement in many jurisdictions for their medical costs, pain and suffering, lost income, and other damages.

A Personal Injury Attorney Can Help You Seek Compensation For Damages.

Let the passionate and reputable personal injury lawyers of The Clark Law Office help you. Call us for a free consultation and let us help you get the compensation and damages you rightfully deserve.