Understanding Radicular Pain: Pathophysiology and Potential Treatments

Radicular pain is caused by stimulation of the sensory root or dorsal root ganglion (DRG) of a spinal nerve (Merskey et al., 2007). Radicular pain differs from nociceptive pain in that it is caused by neural activity in the dorsal root rather than stimulation of peripheral nerve ends. As a result, it is distinct from both somatic pain and somatic-referred pain. Furthermore, radicular discomfort is … Continue reading Understanding Radicular Pain: Pathophysiology and Potential Treatments

Decoding Disc Displacements: Key Insights from Research on Diagnosis and Symptom Severity

Disc displacements, often linked to back pain, can manifest as diffuse bulges or more localized herniations. Herniations are categorized into protrusions, which remain within the outer annular fibers, and extrusions, which break through the annulus fibrosus. Typically, extrusions are larger than protrusions (Fries et al., 1982). A study by Jensen et al. (1994) involving 98 asymptomatic volunteers and 27 back pain patients found that disc … Continue reading Decoding Disc Displacements: Key Insights from Research on Diagnosis and Symptom Severity