Normal wear and tear that occurs with age can cause a degenerative process all along the spine including the cervical, or neck area. The spine is made up of vertebrae, which have disks in-between them. With age, these disks can lose their fluid, causing a loss of space between the vertebrae. In some cases, this degenerative process can lead to the formation of bone spurs, which can compress nearby nerves causing a condition called stenosis. Cervical stenosis can cause pain, numbness and weakness in the neck, upper back and arms. Spinal stenosis can cause the same symptoms in the mid and lower back, as well as the legs. These conditions can occur independently or together. If these symptoms develop, a physician will need to run tests to determine the extent of the damage so that the correct cervical spinal stenosis treatment can be started.
Physical Therapy and Exercise
A physical therapist can help to design an exercise program aimed at minimizing disability and severity of symptoms, states the Mayo Clinic. A well- rounded program of stretching and strength training the muscles in the neck and spine will help. The more flexible and stronger the muscles around the area of stenosis, the less pressure there will be on the spine. The actual exercises done will depend on the location and severity of the stenosis. A physical therapist can review the use of heat, ice, massage, traction, braces and other modalities that can help to control symptoms. Learning good body mechanics and using good posture during work, hobbies or everyday tasks will help to take pressure off the neck and back, as well.
Medication
Before deciding on surgery, the NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases Spine Center claims that physical therapy in conjunction with medication can be tried first unless the symptoms are severe. A mix of various medications may be needed to manage the many symptoms. This includes pain relievers, anti-inflammatory meds, muscle relaxants, and steroids that can be given in injection form. Conservative measures may be tried for six weeks or longer to see if surgery can be avoided.
Surgery
Sometimes this condition can progress to the point where there are severe symptoms in the arms and legs called cervical myelopathy. At this point, there is significant compression on the spinal nerves, which affects everyday functioning. The University of Maryland Medical Center states that once this occurs, surgery is usually required to help take pressure off the nerves. There are various surgical techniques that can be used to remove the spurs, open up the spinal column, or remove affected disks and/or vertebrae. X-rays, MRIs and other scans may be required to assess the damage and help a physician determine which approach is best.
