general qns on spine management

[needinganswers]

I have been searching around for answers but cannot seem to get a proper definitive one. Could anyone explain to me the difference between radiculopathy, radicular pain, radiculitis, and myelopathy?

from what i have found, this is what i tink each one means

radiculopathy - nerve root dysfunction from any cause resulting in weakness, numbness. may or may not results in radicular pain or radiculitis. may not be due to myelopathy

radicular pain - mechanical or chemical irritation of a nerve resulting in pain or numbness in a dermatomal fashion.

radiculitis - inflammation of a nerve root resulting in pain and hyperreflexia. (does having radiculitis always also result in radicular pain?)

myelopathy - damage to the spinal cord. having myelopathy would result in radiculopathy and radicular pain.

am i right? or totally off? Please advise me.

thank you very much
needinganswers

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[Dr Damien]

Dear needinganswers

these terms have been used so much it is difficult to truly know what they mean anymore...

First of all... radiculopathy definition you have is very much on point...ill just use the word "neuropathy" to describe these symptoms, having radiculopathy is specific for nerve root dysfunction while neuropathy is less specific...
radicular pain and radiculitis more or less mean the same thing, often more specific to the nerve root origin...so technically a compression occuring after the root should not be described as such...it is often generally better to use the word "neuropathic pain or radiating pain" to avoid confusion or to basically generalize if one is not sure the source of the pain along the course of the nerve...in other words radicular pain could be a symptom of radiculitis...as radiculitis is the inflammation going and and pain is the symptom because of this inflammation
I would not expect radicular pain to always cause hyperreflexia, infact what i would expect to see is hyporeflexia...based on the fact that we taalking lower motor neuron problems here...
with myelopathy, you may find hyperrefelxia...
having myelopathy will definitely cause a "neuropathy" not a radiculopathy as like i said this term is kept mainly for nerve root problems...

cheers

[needinganswers]

thank you Dr Damien for the explanation. helps me understand the conditions better.