Cervical Myelopathy

Early signs of cervical myelopathy include neck pain or stiffness. If cervical myelopathy is untreated, the spinal cord compression may start to have neurological effects. This can cause more severe symptoms, including:

• Weakness or tingling in the arms, shoulders, and hands
• Limited range of motion
• Weakness in your extremities
• Loss of fine motor abilities, like grasping and picking things up
• Numbness or tingling in arms and hands
• Difficulties with balance and walking
• Sustained muscle contractions, also known as spasticity

Cervical myelopathy may be caused by the following:

• Changes in the spine and other supportive tissues can occur with aging and as a result of repetitive movements. As you grow older, the spinal canal may narrow as the tissue in your spine grows less supportive.
• Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition that affects the soft tissue between your joints. When you have rheumatoid arthritis, the tissue around the bones and cartilage in your cervical spine may degenerate. The tissues around it can become inflamed, resulting in spinal cord compression.
• A spinal injury can cause cervical myelopathy. Whiplash-type injuries can create traumatic tears in the structures supporting the spine and may cause fractures. Some injuries can cause tissue swelling that puts pressure on the spinal cord.
• Bone spurs in your vertebrates can narrow your spinal canal. These smooth bulges in your bones are more common in people over 60 and those with osteoarthritis.
• Some people are genetically prone to cervical myelopathy because they were born with a narrowed spinal canal.

To diagnose cervical myelopathy, Dr Shiva may:

• Perform a physical examination and measure your muscle strength and reflexes.
• Conduct further tests, including an MRI scan, an X-ray, or a neck CT.

Nonsurgical options for relieving symptoms include physiotherapy and hydrotherapy. However, surgery is often necessary to eliminate spinal cord compression and prevent the worsening of the condition.

Dr Shiva may recommend a few surgical procedures for treating cervical myelopathy. Some patients may benefit from spine decompression surgery with spinal fusion. This stabilises the spine after fully or partially removing herniated discs, bone spurs, or hardened ligaments.

Postoperative care

• No lifting more than 5kg, no bending or twisting for six weeks
• No driving for two weeks
• Keep the wound dry for five days. You can get wet in the shower, but pat the area dry rather than rub.
• GP review postoperatively for wound review on day seven
• Monitor for any wound redness, discharge or fevers
• Monitor for new symptoms, including worsening back or neck pain, arm or leg pain, pins and needles or numbness
• Six-week review with Dr Shiva