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3. Good and Bad Exercises for Low Back Pain

Medical Author:

Jason C. Eck, DO, MS

Jason C. Eck, DO, MS

Dr. Eck received a Bachelor of Science degree from the Catholic University of America in Biomedical Engineering, followed by a Master of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering from Marquette University. Following this he worked as a research engineer conducting spine biomechanics research. He then attended medical school at University of Health Sciences. He is board eligible in orthopaedic surgery.

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Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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In this Article

• What is radiculopathy?
• What are the risk factors for radiculopathy?
• What are the causes of radiculopathy?
• What are the symptoms of radiculopathy?
• How is radiculopathy diagnosed?
• What is the treatment for radiculopathy?
• Can radiculopathy be prevented?
• What is the outlook for radiculopathy?
• Radiculopathy At A Glance
• Patient Comments: Radiculopathy - Experience
• Patient Comments: Radiculopathy - Causes
• Patient Comments: Radiculopathy - Treatments
• Patient Comments: Radiculopathy - Symptoms
• Find a local Neurologist in your town
• Radiculopathy Index

Fortunately, most people can obtain good relief of their symptoms of radiculopathy with conservative treatment. This may include anti-inflammatory medications, physical therapy or chiropractic treatment, and avoiding activity that strains the neck or back. The majority of radiculopathy patients respond well to this conservative treatment, and symptoms often improve within six weeks to three months.

If patients do not improve with the treatments listed above they may benefit from an epidural steroid injection. With the help of an X-ray machine, a physician injects steroid medication between the bones of the spine adjacent to the involved nerves. This can help to rapidly reduce the inflammation and irritation of the nerve and help reduce the symptoms of radiculopathy.

In some cases the symptoms continue despite all of the above treatment options. If this occurs and the symptoms are severe, surgery may be an option. The goal of the surgery is to remove the compression from the affected nerve. Depending on the cause of the radiculopathy, this can be done by a laminectomy or a discectomy. A laminectomy removes a small portion of the bone covering the nerve to allow it to have additional space. A discectomy removes the portion of the disk that has herniated out and is compressing a nerve.

There is no specific prevention for radiculopathy. Maintaining a reasonable weight, good muscle conditioning, and avoiding excessive strain on the neck and back can reduce the chances of developing radiculopathy.