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The cervical spine is
a very critical part of your body. The cervical area is the junction
of all the nerves of the body parts to carry the messages or impulses
to the brain. The bones of the spine protect the spinal cord that
runs down through the spinal canal. All important nerves of sensation
and strength of arms and legs, and those controlling the bladder and
the bowel movements are carried through the spinal cord.
The cervical stenosis occurs when the
bones or the vertebra joints are compressed due to old age. This very
popularly known as spondylosis. With age the space between the spinal
joints reduce and this can result in a rapture of the discs or the
cushions that are meant for shock absorptions. The raptured disc can
bulge out to the spinal canal and hurt the nerves passing through
them. Even due to age the ligaments, tendons or the bones enlarge
losing their elasticity and exerting pressure in the nerve canal.
The general symptoms
of cervical stenosis are as follows:
1. Numbness or a feeling of weakness in
the shoulders or in the arm area. Loss of strength in the fingers-
you cannot button a shirt, hook a nob of the door or open up certain
things like the cap of your tight fountain pen etc.
2. Neck pain and stiffness in the
upright position.
3. Muscles spasm, leg pain, weakness in
walking or moving(this happens due to the network of nerve from the
legs present in the spinal canal that are pinched).
4. Urinary problems, bowel disorder,
bladder malfunction.
In mild cases non-operative methods are
applied for treatments, but in severe cases surgery becomes the only
rescue of this disorder. In surgery either fusion or anterior
decompression is carried out to free the canal or nerves under the
pressure of the bulged bones or shrunk joints.
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