Radiculopathy — a compressed or pinched spinal nerve root — can send pain, numbness, and weakness radiating into your arm or leg. Dr. Tyndall takes a conservative-first approach, relieving most cases without surgery and reserving minimally invasive, motion-preserving procedures for when they are truly needed.
Radiculopathy is the medical term for a compressed, pinched, or irritated spinal nerve root — the point where a nerve branches off the spinal cord and exits between two vertebrae. When something presses on that nerve root, the nerve becomes inflamed and stops signaling normally. The result is pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness that travels along the path of that specific nerve, often felt far from the spine itself.
Cervical radiculopathy happens in the neck. A pinched nerve there typically causes neck pain that radiates into the shoulder, arm, and hand, sometimes with numbness, tingling, or grip weakness.
Lumbar radiculopathy happens in the lower back. A pinched nerve there typically causes low back pain that radiates into the buttock and down the leg — a pattern most people know as sciatica.
Because each nerve root supplies a predictable area of the body, Dr. Tyndall can often identify exactly which nerve is involved from your symptom pattern, physical examination, and imaging — then target treatment precisely.
Select your area to see which nerves are usually involved and where symptoms radiate.
A nerve root in the neck is pinched where it exits the spine, often by a herniated disc or a bone spur. The irritated nerve sends pain, numbness, or weakness down a specific path into the shoulder, arm, or hand.
A nerve root in the lower back is pinched where it exits the spine, commonly by a herniated disc, bone spur, or narrowing of the nerve's exit canal. The classic result is sciatica — pain that shoots from the low back or buttock down the leg.
Diagrams are simplified illustrations for education and are not exact anatomical depictions.
Radiculopathy develops when something narrows the space a nerve root needs and presses against it. The most common causes are degenerative changes in the spine that build up over time. Identifying the underlying cause is the key to choosing the right treatment.
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This self-check is for education only and is not a diagnosis. Only an in-person evaluation and imaging can confirm radiculopathy. If you have concerning symptoms, contact Dr. Tyndall's office.
Some symptoms are warning signs that need urgent attention. Seek emergency care or call 911 if you experience progressive or severe weakness, rapidly spreading numbness, numbness in the groin or inner thighs ("saddle" numbness), or any loss of bladder or bowel control. These can signal cauda equina syndrome, a rare but serious condition that requires immediate treatment.
Dr. Tyndall works up this ladder one step at a time. Most patients improve well before reaching the top — surgery is the last resort, not the first option.
Treatment is individualized. Dr. Tyndall recommends the least invasive option that effectively relieves your symptoms.
A pinched nerve deserves a specialist who will exhaust conservative options before ever discussing surgery — and who, when surgery is truly needed, offers the most advanced minimally invasive and motion-preserving techniques available in Northwest Indiana.
If radiating pain, numbness, or weakness is holding you back, find out what's really causing it. Dr. Tyndall will review your symptoms and imaging and build a conservative-first plan tailored to you. Call today to schedule a consultation.
(219) 250-5035Monday – Friday · 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
500 E. 109th Avenue
Crown Point, IN 46307
833 W. Lincoln Highway, Suite 110
Schererville, IN 46375