The Bonati Institute Glossary: Radiculitis

The mission of The Bonati Institute is to provide hope to people suffering with chronic pain from a back or neck condition. We believe that a well-informed patient is vital to restoring hope and finding answers to pain. We developed this web site primarily to help educate pain sufferers and their families. We’ve found that the more individuals in pain learn about their anatomy, their condition and the options available to them the more likely they will be to choose the advanced arthroscopic procedures offered by The Bonati Institute.

Radiculitis

Radiculitis or Radicular Pain, is transferred pain "radiated" along the path of a nerve due to pressure on the nerve root at its connection to the spinal column. A common form of radiculitis is sciatica, or radicular pain that radiates along the sciatic nerve from the lower spine to the lower back, gluteal muscles, back of the upper thigh, calf, and foot as often caused by nerve root compression from a lumbar disc herniation or bone spurs in the lumbar region of the spine.

Symptoms

The symptoms of radiculitis may change from one patient to the next, depending on which nerve root is affected. For example, if the nerve root connected to L5 in the lumbar region is compromised, a classic symptom is numbness in the big toe and on the big toe's side of the foot. The outside of the calf may feel and the hip flexor may also experience severe pain. These are all regions that the sciatic nerve (connected to L5) runs through.

Patients suffering from L5 radiculitis may have difficulty finding a comfortable position. Many have had success draping themselves (belly down) over a large medicine ball (the sort you see in health clubs) with their knees on the ground. This position provides a minor degree of traction for the back (taking some of the pressure off the nerve).

Seeking treatment for radiculitis should not be delayed. Depending on the severity, certain muscles (i.e. muscles in the toes, feet and calves) may start to atrophy over time, which in turn requires physical therapy for recovery. Also, radiculitis is known to cause patients to "favor" certain muscles or a certain side of their body which can result in the over-development of those muscles relative to the ones that don't get used as much.

Probable Treatment

The Bonati Arthroscopic Laser Debridement of the Spinous Process

This procedure is designed as an answer to:

• Severe pain along the back of the spine that radiates to other parts of the body
• Severe pain along the back of the spine that is temporarily relieved with Xylocaine
• Pain that has not responded to conventional treatments such as rest, analgesics, anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxants and physical therapy
• Previously failed surgeries with local spinous process pain

The spinous process is the portion of the vertebrae that protrudes from the back of the spinal column. Spinous processes create the "bumps" on the midline of the back. A Debridement of the Spinous Process removes the pain-inducing medial branch of the problem nerve. Using local and IV anesthesia and X-rays for guidance, specially designed instruments are inserted directly over the affected spinous process. The laser is then used to obliterate the medial branch of the spinal nerve.

The benefits of this procedure:

• Fewer risks, local anesthesia, a small incision
• Minimal blood loss
• Short recuperation time
• Minimal damage to tissues
• Surgeries are done in an outpatient setting
• Patient sees a faster return to a normal lifestyle