Cervical Spinal Stenosis: Its Causes, Symptoms and Treatments
Living with cervical spinal stenosis can be hard. It is because this condition can really be excruciating. Person with this kind of condition may not be able to do the things that he used before because the symptoms of the condition might get worse.
What is cervical spinal stenosis?
Cervical spinal stenosis refers to the condition in which the spinal canal in the neck is narrowing. The spinal nerves that are running through the spinal column when the spinal canal is narrowed can be compressed. When the spinal nerves are compressed, this can cause pain in the neck area, which is basically the symptom of cervical spinal stenosis.
The symptoms, causes, and treatments for cervical spinal stenosis
The cervical spinal stenosis symptoms usually start with a pain in the neck area. The pain that you feel around your neck area may then go down to your shoulders, arms, and hands and even in your legs. You might also start to feel stiffness in the neck area as well as numbness. A person with this condition might also lose his balance, so he should be careful when he is going in the stairs as the might be prone to accident. He would also likely have a problem with his bowel movements. These cervical spinal stenosis symptoms are usually caused by age-related conditions. As we grow older, we may have bulging discs that can cause the spinal canal to become narrow and this can lead to cervical spinal stenosis. Once you start to feel the symptoms of cervical spinal stenosis, you should consult a doctor so that you can be diagnosed with whatever is the cause of your condition. A physical exam and the history of your symptoms are what are usually needed to be diagnosed with this condition. The doctor may also make you get X-RAY tests, CT scan, MRI and other tests to make the diagnosis clearer. After you have been diagnosed, the doctor can then plan a cervical spinal stenosis treatment for you. The cervical spinal stenosis treatments may vary from the level of the symptoms that you have. If you have severe cervical spinal stenosis symptoms, you may be a good candidate for a surgery. But, the doctor would usually advice you to take the conservative treatments for this condition first before getting a surgery. These conservative treatments include cervical spinal stenosis exercises, taking of pain relievers such as Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory drugs, physical therapy, acupuncture and massage. If all of these treatments have now worked for you and the symptoms of the condition has gotten worse that is the time that you may opt for a surgery.
Cervical spinal stenosis pain can really make you feel bad. With this condition, you might not want to do anything anymore because when you move, you may feel it more painful. Before the symptoms of this condition gets worse, you may get pain relievers right away and if the symptoms are still persistent, go to a doctor and have a clear diagnosis so that you can get the right treatment for your cervical spinal stenosis.
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