Your spinal column is composed of a collection of cervical, thoracic and lumbar vertebrae---the small bones that support your back and allow you to bend and move normally. There are seven cervical vertebrae that extend from the base of your skull to the bottom of your neck. Abnormal narrowing of the spinal canal---a small space in the middle of your vertebrae---can cause the compression of the spinal column and nerves that run along this space. When this occurs in the cervical vertebrae, you can develop symptoms of a condition called cervical stenosis.
Pain
Deterioration of the cervical spinal canal can cause your spinal cord to become irritated or inflamed. Inflammation within the cervical vertebrae can cause you to experience painful symptoms within your neck that may radiate across your shoulders and into your arms. These painful symptoms can be chronic or intermittent and are typically characterized as dull or achy. Depending upon the extent of inflammation, pain caused by cervical stenosis can range in severity from mild to severe. Without treatment, painful symptoms typically become progressively worse over time.
Numbness
Cervical stenosis can cause the nerves that run along your spinal canal to become pinched or compressed. If this occurs, it can interfere with the transmission of nerve signals between the spinal column and its targets. This can cause you to experience abnormal sensations, such as numbness or tingling within your upper and lower extremities, explain health professionals at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. Such symptoms may interfere with your ability to walk or move normally and may contribute to symptoms of pain or weakness.
Weakness or Spasticity
Nerve damage caused by cervical stenosis can result in weakness or spasticity within your legs. Muscle spasticity causes symptoms of stiffness and abnormal, involuntary muscle spasms within the affected body regions. Such symptoms can make it difficult for you to accurately lift and control your legs when you attempt to walk. You may find that you have trouble placing your feet or frequently trip when you walk, explains the Mayfield Clinic in Cincinnati, Ohio. Muscle weakness caused by cervical stenosis may cause you to be unable to hold up your own body weight with your legs when you try to stand or walk. You can also experience a decrease in your balance and motor coordination, which can cause significant problems when you try to move about normally.
