Cervical stenosis refers to when the spinal cord in the neck is compressed as a result of degenerative changes that occur with aging. In many cases, spinal stenosis of the cervical spine is asymptomatic, meaning that the condition is present but there are no noticeable symptoms, thus resulting in the patient simply being observed. In other situations, cervical spinal stenosis may produce symptoms like intermittent, shooting pains in the arms and legs, an inability to walk at a brisk pace, deterioration in fine motor skills, referred arm pain and/or a heavy feeling in the legs. When progressive spinal cord dysfunction is present (described as cervical stenosis with myelopathy), a surgical opinion is typically warranted.
