Nerve root irritation

Irritation of the spinal nerve roots can be caused by various pathological processes in the area of origin of the spinal nerves. In most cases, however, degenerative, i.e. wear- and age-related changes in the spinal column can be identified as the cause of nerve root irritation. This includes for example foraminal stenosis, a narrowing of the intervertebral hole.

Although these occur more frequently in old age, they are also promoted by chronic misuse and overloading of the spinal column, which the body tries to compensate for by strengthening its bony structures. Long-lasting inflammatory processes in the spinal column can also lead to foraminal stenosis. Spinal canal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal canal, has a similar background.

This is usually caused by bony outgrowths on the vertebral bodies, which are formed as a result of wear and tear of the joint surfaces. However, if they protrude too far into the spinal canal, this can result in irritation of the spinal nerve roots or, in severe cases, irritation of the spinal cord. One of the non-degenerative causes of nerve root irritation is spondylolisthesis (spondylolisthesis), a very common disease in the western population, which occurs mainly between the ages of 12 and 17.

This is a slippage of the vertebral body as a result of the formation of a gap in the vertebral arch. In most cases, this results in load-dependent pain. Nerve root irritations can also occur, although rather rarely.

Other non-degenerative causes of radicular irritation include space-occupying processes such as tumors, although it is irrelevant whether these are benign or malignant in terms of nerve root irritation. Also viral or bacterial inflammations, for example by the herpes virus or the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, the pathogen causing Lyme disease, lead to nerve root irritation. In principle, all these diseases can occur at any height of the spine. However, the lumbar spine is most frequently affected by nerve root irritation, followed by the cervical spine. This is simply due to the fact that these two sections of the spinal column have to carry very heavy loads in everyday life and are incorrectly loaded in our daily lives due to, among other things, frequent sitting.