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Our body consists of the cervical spine that is made up of bones called vertebrae, they protect the canal that supports the spinal cord. And naturally spinal cord consists of innumerable nerves which are the mainstay of the various organs of our body like the legs, arms, bowel, bladder etc. Due to our increasing age the invertebral disc cannot hold sufficient water and this leads to bulging of the hardened discs inside the spinal canal. As a result there occurs thickening of the ligaments and the bones and all this push the spinal canal immensely. This condition is referred to as cervical stenosis. This disorder spreads its tentacles vert slowly and eventually affect the functioning of the nerves and the spinal cord. Here we must also be aware of a term – cervical myelopathy which points to the damage to the spinal cord and its functioning.
Also, stenosis do not show any symptoms, and the symptoms that are evident are of the injury done to the spinal cord also called myelopathy. The first symptom you should look out for is increase in ankle and knee reflexes. Most of the patients have problem of weakness in their legs or arms, stiffness in the arms resulting in prohibition of certain actions like buttoning a shirt, opening a jar. While in the case of leg- difficulty in walking, requirement of supports like a cane or stick are some of the effects you may encounter. Also, urgency in urine is also another signal.
Mild cases of cervical stenosis can be cured by simple medications, only in severe cases where there is extreme difficulty in walking accompanied by pain do we require surgery. Anteroir decompression and fusion are some of the favored surgical methods. You can also go for the range of nonsurgical medications and try the antibiotics and analgesics but always consult your doctor before going for anything.
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