Spinal pathologies

Dorsal Radicular Pain

Thoracic radicular pain is a painful condition caused by irritation, inflammation, or compression of the thoracic nerve roots at the level of the thoracic spine.

Although less frequent than cervical or lumbar radiculopathy, this pathology can generate intense and persistent pain in the dorsal, thoracic or intercostal region, significantly affecting the patient’s quality of life and functionality.

Compression of the dorsal nerve roots can produce complex symptoms and, at times, be confused with muscular, rib, pulmonary, digestive or cardiac pathologies, therefore requiring specialized assessment and accurate diagnosis.

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What are the most frequent causes?

Thoracic radicular pain can be related to multiple pathologies of the thoracic spine, including:

Dorsal disc herniation
Thoracic foraminal stenosis
Dorsal vertebral osteoarthritis
Facet and ligamentous hypertrophy
Degenerative dorsal disc disease
Periradicular fibrosis or adhesions
Vertebral fractures
Scoliosis and biomechanical alterations
Post-traumatic or post-surgical nerve compression

Prolonged irritation of the nerve roots can lead to neural inflammation and neuropathic pain radiating along the intercostal nerves.

What are the most common symptoms?

Symptoms may vary depending on the affected nerve root and the degree of neural compression.

The most common symptoms include:

Persistent back pain
Pain radiating to the chest or ribs
Intercostal neuralgia
Burning or electric shock-like pain
Thoracic cutaneous hypersensitivity
Tingling or sensory disturbances
Pain that increases with certain movements or deep breathing
Associated dorsal muscle contracture

In advanced cases or those with spinal cord involvement, more significant neurological symptoms may appear that require urgent specialist evaluation.

Specialized diagnosis

The diagnosis requires an adequate clinical and radiological correlation aimed at identifying the nerve root responsible for the pain.

Magnetic resonance imaging is especially useful for assessing the degree of disc, foraminal or spinal cord compression.

Treatment of dorsal radicular pain

Treatment will depend on the cause of the neural compression, the intensity of the symptoms, and the patient’s clinical evolution.

At VERTEBRA SpinePain & Regenerative SURGERY CENTERS we provide a comprehensive and personalized approach to dorsal radicular pain through conservative, interventional and minimally invasive treatments.

Among the available therapeutic options, the following stand out:

Specialized pharmacological treatment
Physiotherapy and functional rehabilitation
Image-guided infiltrative treatments in the epidural cavity
Selective nerve blocks
Radiofrequency and neuromodulation
Treatment of neuropathic and intercostal pain
Minimally invasive disc decompression techniques
Regenerative and biological therapies
Minimally invasive surgery in selected cases

The goal of treatment is to reduce neural inflammation, relieve pain, and preserve the patient’s neurological and functional capacity.

At VERTEBRA SpinePain & Regenerative SURGERY CENTERS we have a specialized unit in dorsal pathology and image-guided spinal intervention, offering advanced and personalized treatments for the comprehensive management of dorsal and radicular pain.

VERTEBRA Clinic is a pioneering group recognized internationally in the implementation and development of minimally invasive spinal techniques for the relief of chronic pain and the reversal of disability.