Just an interesting side note. In the OR, I've seen graphic examples of why some people experience no radicular pain with profound disc herniation and exiting nerve root compression, while others experience severe pain with seemingly minor pathology. What the surgeon pointed out is something like, "here... look at this nerve. you see the way it's all clean and red. this has almost no insulating fat layer around it. this person can have a minor disc herniation that may not even be compressing the nerve root, but the chemical irritation gets right to the nerve." Then on another surgery he pointed out the exact opposite... "see the way the nerve is surrounded by an insulating layer of fat?"
|