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Fundamentals of Pain Medicine pp 195–201Cite as

Thoracic Radicular Pain

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Abstract

Thoracic radicular pain most commonly presents after postherpetic neuralgia and thoracic surgeries. Other causes include neuropathic pain syndromes, musculoskeletal, intra-, and extrathoracic etiologies. Thoracic disc bulges rarely produce radicular pain and are more likely to cause pyramidal track symptoms. Pain can present acutely after trauma or insidious, as in neoplasms. Clinical diagnosis is based on history of trauma or skin changes and imaging to rule out other serious etiologies. Physical exam findings vary depending on the etiology. Treatment should commence with conservative therapies, including topical and systemic medications, and progress to interventional therapies and surgery, if indicated.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine Geisinger Health System, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Danville, PA, USA

    Brian R. Monroe MD

  2. Department of Anesthesiology, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT, USA

    Carlos A. Pino MD

Authors
  1. Brian R. Monroe MD
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  2. Carlos A. Pino MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Carlos A. Pino MD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Professor of Anesthesiology President-elect, American Academy of Pain Medicine, Director, Cleveland Clinic Multidisciplinary Pain Medicine Fellowship Program, Departments of Pain Management and Neurosciences, Cleveland Clinic Anesthesiology Institute and Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

    Jianguo Cheng

  2. Chairman, Department Pain Management, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

    Richard W. Rosenquist

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© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG

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Monroe, B.R., Pino, C.A. (2018). Thoracic Radicular Pain. In: Cheng, J., Rosenquist, R. (eds) Fundamentals of Pain Medicine. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-64922-1_21

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-64922-1_21

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-64920-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-64922-1

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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