Can a Car Accident Cause Radiculopathy? Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment
Many people suffer from radiculopathy after the automobile or work-related accidents in Brooklyn, NY. This condition occurs when the patient has a compressed nerve in the spine.
Patients can be diagnosed with lumbar (lower back), cervical (neck), or thoracic (middle of the spine) radiculopathy, with lumbar and cervical radiculopathy as the most common.
Symptoms of Radiculopathy
If you have radiculopathy, you can expect to experience tingling, weakness, pain, and numbness that runs along the course of the nerve.
It’s also possible to become hypersensitive to touch with this condition. While less common, you might also experience weakness that goes along the course of the nerve. This is often a symptom of nerve damage caused by radiculopathy, and it’s critical to seek treatment immediately before the damage worsens.
If you have cervical radiculopathy, you’ll experience symptoms in the neck and arms. However, if you have lumbar radiculopathy, you’ll have symptoms in the legs and buttocks.
Thoracic radiculopathy is not as common, but if you have this condition, you’ll experience symptoms in the chest and abdomen. Symptoms can range from mild to severe.
Diagnosing Radiculopathy
When you visit a Brooklyn medical clinic, you will go over your symptoms with the doctor. He or she will conduct a thorough examination to check for nerve problems. This will include checking your reflexes and muscle strength.
Your doctor also might order diagnostic tests such as an X-ray, MRI, or CT scan. These tests will allow the Brooklyn accident doctor to evaluate the soft tissues located around the spine and to see if the nerves appear to be compressed.
Finally, your doctor might order an electromyogram or nerve conduction study. This study analyzes the health of the nerves in the spine and determines if there is nerve damage. These tests can also determine the severity of the condition.
Treatment for Radiculopathy
If you’re diagnosed with radiculopathy, you’ll begin treatment. Most patients respond to conservative treatment. Anti-inflammatory medications are often prescribed to reduce inflammation around the nerve. This might include a corticosteroid injection to provide fast relief.
Your doctor also might recommend chiropractic treatment and physical therapy. The treatment plan might include instrumental and manual adjustments, massage therapy, and strengthening exercises.
Many patients begin to improve in as little as six weeks after undergoing conservative treatment, and most feel better after three months. Those who do not improve might be candidates for an epidural steroid injection. The injection is made close to the nerves involved in the condition. If this doesn’t work, the patient will be referred for orthopedic surgery. Fortunately, most patients do not require surgery for this condition.
Don’t Suffer From Radiculopathy
Radiculopathy is an uncomfortable and often painful condition. It’s hard to do the simplest of tasks when your spinal nerves are compressed, so get help soon.
Call us today at (718) 769-2521 to schedule an appointment at our medical clinic, conveniently located at 3500 Nostrand Ave in Brooklyn, NY. You will get a comprehensive evaluation from a top multi-specialty medical team and any necessary diagnostic testing. With the right treatment plan, you’ll likely feel much better within weeks. Once you feel better, you’ll be ready to get back to living your life to the fullest!