Patient education: Radiculopathy of the neck and back (including sciatica) – Discharge instructions (The Basics)

What are discharge instructions? — Discharge instructions are information about how to take care of yourself after getting medical care for a health problem.

What is radiculopathy? — "Radiculopathy" is the medical term for the pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling that happens when nerves coming from the spinal cord get pinched or damaged. Radiculopathy can affect different parts of the body, depending on which nerve or group of nerves is affected. People sometimes refer to radiculopathy as having a "pinched nerve."

Here are 2 common examples of radiculopathy:

●Cervical radiculopathy – People with this type of radiculopathy have pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling down 1 or both arms. The condition happens when 1 or more of the nerves that go from the spine to the arm get pinched or damaged.

●Lumbosacral radiculopathy – People with this type of radiculopathy have pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling in the buttocks or down the leg. The condition happens when 1 or more of the nerves that go from the spine to the foot and leg get pinched or damaged. People often call this "sciatica."

Radiculopathy can happen if:

●The vertebrae form bumps called bone spurs, which press on nearby nerves (figure 1). People with a condition called "spinal stenosis" often have this problem.

●The discs between the vertebrae break open and bulge out, causing them to press on or irritate nearby nerves (figure 2). A disc that breaks open and bulges is called a "herniated disc."

●Other medical conditions, such as diabetes, infection, inflammation, or a tumor, cause injuries to the nerves near the spinal cord.

How do I care for myself at home? — Ask the doctor or nurse what you should do when you go home. Make sure that you understand exactly what you need to do to care for yourself. Ask questions if there is anything you do not understand.

You should also:

●Avoid activities that cause pain or make your pain worse.

●Use heat on your back for short periods of time, if it helps with pain. Put a heating pad (on the low setting) on your back for 20 minutes at a time a few times each day. Never go to sleep with heat on your back.

●Try to stay as active as you can without causing too much pain, if your doctor said that it's OK. If your pain is severe, you might need to rest for a day or 2. But it's important to get back to walking and moving as soon as possible. Try to keep doing your normal daily activities. Get up and move around gently during the day as you are able.

●Slowly start to increase your activity level as you are able. If something causes your pain to come back or get worse, stop and go back to doing easier activities that did not hurt.

●Avoid sitting or standing in 1 position for a long time. If it eases your pain, sleep with a pillow under or between your knees.

●Take "NSAID" medicines for pain, if needed. NSAIDs include ibuprofen (sample brand names: Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (brand name: Aleve). These might work better than acetaminophen for low back pain.

●Take steroid medicines (such as prednisone), if your doctor prescribed these. You might get a steroid medicine if your symptoms are severe or if NSAIDs do not help enough.

Some treatments might help you feel better for a little while. If you want to try these, talk to your doctor or nurse first. They include:

●Physical therapy – This involves working with a physical therapist to learn exercises and other ways to improve your movement.

●Massage therapy – A therapist massages your muscles and soft tissues. This can help decrease muscle tension and increase relaxation.

What follow-up care do I need? — Your doctor or nurse will tell you if you need to make a follow-up appointment. If so, make sure that you know when and where to go.

The doctor might suggest that you see a physical therapist to learn exercises to help with your back pain.

When should I call the doctor? — Call for emergency help right away (in the US and Canada, call 9-1-1) if:

●You cannot walk.

●You cannot control your bowels or bladder.

Call your doctor for advice if:

●Your symptoms (pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling) get worse.

●Your pain is getting worse, even with medicines and rest.

More on this topic

Patient education: Radiculopathy of the neck and back (including sciatica) (The Basics)
Patient education: Low back pain in adults (The Basics)
Patient education: Vertebral compression fracture (The Basics)
Patient education: Spinal stenosis (The Basics)
Patient education: Scoliosis (The Basics)
Patient education: Herniated disc (The Basics)
Patient education: Muscle strain (The Basics)
Patient education: Cauda equina syndrome (The Basics)
Patient education: Neck pain (The Basics)

Patient education: Low back pain in adults (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Back pain in children and adolescents (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Neck pain (Beyond the Basics)