Myelopathy is commonly called damage to the spinal cord of any origin. Myelopathy of the cervical spine, about the symptoms of which we will discuss later in the article, is considered the most common type of the disease. The consequences of this problem can be completely unpredictable, and therefore it needs to be treated as soon as possible.
What causes myelopathy of the cervical region?
The causes of this disease can be very diverse. The main ones look like this:
- pinching, displacement of the spine;
- intervertebral hernia;
- tumor;
- infection;
- congenital pathologies and abnormalities of vertebrae;
- injury;
- myelitis.
In some cases, the symptoms of cervical myelopathy become a complication after spinal cord puncture . It also happens that the disease develops after an unsuccessful operation.
The main signs of myelopathy
The spinal cord is responsible for the normal activity of the human nervous system. Of course, cervical myelopathy introduces certain corrections into it. Symptoms of the cervical form of the disease are considered the most difficult:
- The main symptom is the appearance of tingling in the limbs. Sometimes patients complain of numbness of fingers.
- A common symptom of myelopathy can be considered and muscle weakness. It can manifest in the hands and at the feet. Patients with such a diagnosis with difficulty lift the weights and do not tolerate any physical activity.
- In the affected cervical region, pain occurs from time to time. Sometimes - so strong that you can not get rid of them even with the help of powerful pain medication.
- Some patients with myelopathy of the cervical spinal cord complain of impaired coordination . There are cases when the disease completely immobilizes the patient.
- Specialists had to deal with the fact that people with myelopathy suffer from violations in the work of the intestine and bladder.
Myelopathy should be treated seriously. If you neglect the disease, the body will undergo irreversible changes, and paralyzed limbs will be almost impossible to restore.
Very often cure myelopathy of the cervical spine without surgical intervention, with the help of physiotherapy procedures, special gymnastics exercises and medications. The operation is only resorted to when traditional treatment is powerless.