The problems of nociception and the development of pain in radicular syndromes of the spine may be summarized as follows: 1. The anatomic complex nerve root/dorsal ganglion is a key structure in the pain physiology of disk prolapse and spinal stenosis. 2. Chronic compression of nerve tissue causes structural changes. 3. These structural changes are associated with a change in the electrical properties of the nerve root membrane. 4. The change in membrane properties in the nociceptive pathways of nerve roots is one of the preconditions for perception of pain. As the authors' remark indicate, a better understanding of the pathophysiology of pain will lead to a more differentiated therapeutic approach.