Several potential causes of spinal cord compression exist, including trauma, bony growths, cancer and swelling. When the cervical spinal cord is compressed, regardless of cause, a similar set of symptoms occurs. These symptoms may be mild or...
Most often, spinal cord compression is caused by spinal stenosis, which is the narrowing of the spinal column in the neck, upper back or lower back. Slipped disks or bone growth from arthritis can compress the spinal cord as it passes through the...
Spinal chord compression is when the vertebra that normally protects the spinal column puts pressure on the spine or spinal nerves. When this happens, the pain is intense and often debilitating. Spinal cord compression can happen suddenly from an...
Compression anywhere below the T12 vertebrae can lead to lower back pain, shooting pain down the leg and possible loss of leg function in severe cases. One common compression syndrome below the T12 vertebrae is sciatica where an intervertebral...
A compression of your spinal column can be a serious problem, or it can be a condition that you don't even know about. Spinal compression can occur as the result of an injury, fall, car accident; or you may have a compressed spine because of a...
Numbness in the mouth and tongue during the 39th week of pregnancy can be due to a variety of things. Bell's Palsy is a facial muscle condition that can have an effect on women during pregnancy. If your numbness happens after eating, it is also...
Kyphoplasty is a procedure used to relieve pain associated with a compression fracture of a spine bone, or vertebra. With vertebral compression fractures, the bone collapses on itself. Kyphoplasty uses a balloon-like device to create a cavity...
Common causes of spinal compression vary from slow processes to trauma. The results can vary widely, depending on how much the spinal cord or the spinal roots are involved. The symptoms can span from mild changes in sensitivity to excruciating...
The spinal cord is one of the integral parts of the nervous system. A tumor in the spinal cord can either be malignant or benign. If the tumor is malignant, it is known as spinal cancer, which has the ability to metastasize or to spread throughout...
Spinal decompression describes any technique that attempts to alleviate spinal compression, or pressure on the spinal cord or its spinal nerves. When neural tissue is compressed it is a pathological condition, and with enough or prolonged...
The spine is divided into several sections. The first seven vertebrae, labeled C-1 through C-7, comprise the cervical spine. A bulging cervical disk, also known as a herniated or prolapsed disk, can put pressure on nearby nerves. This results in a...
A cervical collar is to be worn after neck injury or surgery to prevent excessive movement of the neck and to allow it to heal, according to the Ohio State University Medical Center. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) further...
Intervertebral disks act as cushions between the bones of the spine. When excessive forces are placed on a disk, it can become dislodged or herniated. Herniated disks often affect the surrounding nerves and may cause multiple neurological...
Kyphoplasty is an invasive treatment technique used to alleviate persistent pain caused by a spinal compression fracture. With this type of fracture, a weakened vertebra collapses. During a kyphoplasty procedure, the doctor restores the vertebra...
The cauda equine is a group of nerves at the end of the spinal cord; the group is named for its resemblance to a horse's tail. When the nerve roots are compressed, the result is cauda equine syndrome. Most cases of cauda equine occur after a...
Medline Plus defines spinal stenosis as a narrowing of the openings in the bony parts of the spine. Spinal stenosis may occur in the neck (cervical spine) or the lower back (lumbar spine), and may place pressure on nerves as they enter or exit....
One of the most common sites that breast cancer metastasizes in, or spreads to, is the spinal vertebrae. This is usually because of the spread of the tumor through the body's own blood vessels to the site of metastasis. This can result in a...
Cervical stenosis is when the bony spinal canal narrows. Since the spinal cord occupies this space, narrowing may produce pressure against the spinal cord. This can result in symptoms of spinal cord irritation and damage. This condition can be...
Spinal stenosis causes narrowing of the bones that make up the spinal canals, or the areas through which the spinal cord and spinal nerves pass. The Mayo Clinic reports that spinal stenosis causes symptoms only when the spinal nerves or spinal...
Back pain can be managed with medication, physical therapy and specific types of exercise. Management techniques vary, depending on the nature and location of pain. The goals of chronic (long-lasting) pain management are to restore function and...
A lumbar hemangioma is a benign blood vessel tumor that grows along one or more vertebra of the lower back. This type of tumor is most frequently diagnosed in patients between the ages of 30 and 50 and may not cause noticeable symptoms, according...
According to "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine," lung cancer causes more deaths than any other type of cancer in the United States. The mortality rate five years after diagnosis is close to 90 percent. According to the Centers of Disease...
Brain tumors, the most common type of solid tumor in children under age 15, are the second most common cause of cancer death in children, the Merck Manual reports. Many types of brain tumors occur in children, differentiated by their locations and...
Cervical back pain affects your neck. Your cervical spine is composed of seven vertebrae that help support a head that weighs fifteen or more pounds, flexes 90 degrees to both sides of your head, rotates 180 degrees and tilts 120 degrees toward...
When neuroblastoma is at an early stage, the most effective coping strategy is to encourage your child to live as normal a life as possible. However, kids with advanced cases of this cancer frequently develop spinal cord problems as the tumors...
There are numerous symptoms associated with cervical spine pain. According to MayoClinic.com, neck pain can be caused by a variety of injuries or conditions, and neck pain can range from mild and irritating to severe and debilitating. Cervical...
Arthritis is a condition caused by the breakdown of cartilage in the joints, including the ones in the back. These joints can also form new bony growths (bone spurs) over time. Arthritis in the back can cause localized symptoms in the back area or...
Narrowing of the spinal canal because of arthritis or a herniated disc may require surgery if significant symptoms are present. Symptoms such as radiating pain in the arms or legs, major muscle atrophy in the extremities or weakness in the arms or...
Continuous back pain is a common complaint of many patients. According to MayoClinic.com, back pain is the most common reason people go to the doctor or miss work. The back is composed of muscles, ligaments, tendons, bones and nerves that, if...