Which term describes radiating nerve pain down the limbs?

• A. Paresthesia
• B. Radiculopathy
• C. Presbycusis
• D. Radius

Answer: (B)

Radiating pain down the limbs points to nerve root involvement in the spine, which is described by the term radiculopathy. When a nerve root is irritated or compressed—such as by a herniated disc or spinal stenosis—the pain tends to follow the path of that nerve into the arm or leg, often along a specific dermatomal pattern and may be accompanied by numbness or weakness. That radiating, limb-centered pain is the hallmark of radiculopathy.

Paresthesia refers to abnormal sensations like tingling or pins-and-needles, which can occur with radiculopathy but isn’t the defining feature. Presbycusis is age-related hearing loss, and radius is a forearm bone, both unrelated to nerve root pathology. A common example of radiculopathy in everyday terms is sciatica, where the lumbar nerve roots produce leg pain that radiates down the posterior leg.