Spinal cord compression occurs whenever an anatomical structures puts pressure on the spinal cord.
It is a potentially serious condition that warrants prompt medical attention.
This video walks you through the common causes of spinal cord compression, the range of symptoms, and a description of why it can be a serious medical condition.
The spinal cord is a solid mass of nerve tissue that starts at your brainstem and runs down through the spinal column to the upper part of your lower back — usually ending at the L1–L2 level.
The spinal cord is housed inside the spinal canal, a protective tunnel formed by your vertebrae.
From the second level at the top of the spine down through each level of the spine, a nerve exits each side of the spinal canal and passes through a bony hole in the spinal column.
These nerves communicate with all parts of your body.
The spinal cord is located in each of the three main sections of the spine, the cervical spine, or neck, the thoracic spine in the mid-back, and the lumbar spine, or lower back.
Starting from the top down, the cervical spine is the most mobile section of the spine, allowing motion up and down, side to side, and rotation.
Because of this range of motion, the cervical spine is subject to wear and tear over time that leads to the type of degenerative changes that can press on the spinal cord.
The medical term for spinal cord compression in the neck is cervical myelopathy.
In the thoracic spine, the spinal column is connected to your rib cage, which makes this section of the spine strong and stable. This stability means that spinal cord compression is less likely to develop in the thoracic region.
Compression of the spinal cord in the cervical or thoracic spine can disrupt communication between the brain and the body, leading to a variety of symptoms such as radiating pain, weakness or loss of coordination in the arms, hands, legs or feet, difficulty walking and a sensation of tightness or pressure in the neck or upper back.
In the lumbar spine, the solid portion of the spinal cord ends at the L1-L2 spinal segment, and nerves branch out into individual nerves that look like a “horse’s tail” and is called the cauda equina.
These spinal cord nerves in the lumbar spine are contained in the thecal sac. Compression of this nerve bundle in the lower spine is called cauda equina syndrome.
Typical symptoms of cauda equina syndrome include loss of control of your bowel or bladder, severe or increased numbness in your inner thighs, groin, and back of your legs, and / or severe pain and weakness that extends into one or both legs, making it hard to walk.
Cauda equina syndrome requires urgent medical attention.
There are many causes of spinal cord compression in the spine. Common causes include vertebral body degenerative bone spurs, disc herniation or bulge that presses on the spinal cord or cauda equina.
The ligament that connects the spinal vertebrae may thicken and press on the spinal cord.
The facet joints in the back of the spine may degenerate, and in turn grow bone spurs that press on the spinal cord, called facet joint arthritis.
In addition to these common causes, the spinal cord can become compressed from trauma, certain types of spinal tumors, bone diseases, infection, scoliosis or other types of spinal deformity, and ankylosing spondylitis and other types of inflammatory diseases that affect the spine.
Prompt medical attention is advised because spinal cord compression can cause permanent damage.
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