If anyone has ever heard of this term in their discussion with their physician or health care provider, or has been examined/treated by a neurologist, Capitol Imaging Services would like to shed some light on what this condition is about.
Radiculopathy is a disorder or disease of nerve roots that enter or leave the spine.
Nerve roots are the lowest part of the structure of a nerve. Symptoms include severe pain and sometimes a loss of feeling in the area of the body supplied by the affected nerves. Other symptoms include weakness, wasting away of muscles supplied by the nerves, and/or paralysis (a loss of movement and/or sensation).
Radiculopathy may be caused if a disk in the spine sticks out of the bony structure that it is normally contained in. Spinal arthritis, which is inflammation of joints in the spine, can also be a cause. A joint is a place where two bones contact each other. If heavy metals, such as lead, enter the body, this can lead to radiculopathy. Thickening of the meninges, which are thin outer coverings of the brain and spine, can also lead to radiculopathy.
Diabetes mellitus can also cause radiculopathy. Diabetes mellitus is a complex, long-term disorder in which the body is not able to effectively use a natural chemical called insulin. Insulin’s main job is to quickly absorb glucose (a type of sugar) into cells for their energy needs and into the fat and liver (a large organ that performs many chemical tasks) cells for storage.
Radiculopathy is often diagnosed through testing such as x-rays, CT and/or MRI scans. These scans serve the purpose of better seeing the structures in the problem area.
Capitol Imaging Services performs MRI at over 20 locations, and x-ray and CT scans at select facilities.
Capitol Imaging Services is the largest independent radiology practice serving the southeastern United States. Not only do we perform the imaging scans, but we also provide the radiology expertise to review test images and issue important findings to physicians and other healthcare providers.
Capitol Imaging Services: doctor trusted and patient preferred.
