Cervical stenosis occurs more frequently in athletes than researchers previously thought, according to a 2011 study published in the medical journal "Neurosurgical Focus." The condition is serious because it may signal an increased risk of developing more severe spinal conditions in the future. If you are an athlete who has been diagnosed with cervical stenosis, talk to your doctor about the possible risks involved if you continue to participate in sports.
Definition
Cervical spinal stenosis is a narrowed region of the spinal vertebrae that puts an unusual amount of pressure on the corresponding spinal nerves or the spinal cord as a whole. The most common areas of compression are in the lower back or the neck. Athletes experience this pressure most often as a tingling, numbness, weakness or loss of coordination in the shoulders, arms, legs or neck. Severe pressure on the spine may cause transient quadriplegia, or a temporary paralysis of both arms and legs. Pain may occur in some instances, but not always. Athletes and sports medicine experts informally refer to these symptoms of cervical stenosis as a stinger or burner.
Frequency
Contact sports are a leading cause of cervical stenosis in athletes, especially sports like football, basketball, wrestling, martial arts, gymnastics, hockey and rugby where an athlete might sustain a strong blow to his head or twist of his neck. The University of Southern California Center for Spinal Injury estimates that as many as 50 percent of the participants in contact sports have experienced at least temporary cervical stenosis. The most risk-prone of all athletes are football players, with defensive backs making up 30 percent of the players who experienced a stinger injury.
Cause
The physical force sustained by athletes in contact sports can dislocate or fracture parts of the spine, resulting in damage and compression of the spinal tissue. An athlete also may be predisposed to the condition through spinal defects present from birth that caused the spinal canal to develop abnormally narrow. In addition, athletes who are elderly, suffer from osteoarthritis or have deteriorated spinal discs are also at a greater risk of developing cervical stenosis.
Treatment
The acute symptoms of cervical stenosis go away by themselves in several minutes or, in some cases, several days. Rest, pain medication and physical therapy are the most common treatments for cervical stenosis in athletes. The athlete is typically advised not to return to play until he has recovered to his pre-injury strength and health. More serious cases, especially those involving congenital spinal stenosis or stenosis that occurred through severe sports-related trauma, may require surgery to remove the pressure of the vertebrae on the spinal cord or nerves.
Resuming Sports
If you are an athlete who has had only one instance of transient quadriplegia without any other complicating injuries, sports medicine experts say you can return to your sport -- with your health care provider's clearance -- without an increased chance of injuring your spine in the future. However, athletes who have either congenital or trauma-induced cervical stenosis and have experienced more than one instance of transient quadriplegia are at a much greater risk of suffering from a serious spinal cord injury, including permanent quadriplegia -- the irreversible loss of feeling and movement in all four limbs. Sports doctors advise that these athletes should stop playing to avoid lifelong physical damage. Athletes who've experienced repeated problems with cervical stenosis should speak frankly with their doctor about the risk of continuing contact sports.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Spinal Stenosis
- A.D.A.M Medical Encyclopedia: Spinal Stenosis
- Hughston.com: Congenital Stenosis of the Cervical Spinal Cord
- CNI Review Medical Journal: Cervical Spine Injury in Athletes
- USC Center for Spinal Injury: Sports Injuries
- Clinics in Sports Medicine: Stingers, Cervical Cord Neuropraxia, and Stenosis
- Orthobullets: Cervical Stenosis
- Operative Techniques in Orthopaedics: Cervical Stenosis in the Athlete
- Neurosurgical Focus: Cervical Spinal Stenosis and Sports-Related Cervical Cord Neuropraxia
- Clinics in Sports Medicine: Etiology, Treatment, and Prevention of Athletic "Stingers"
