Myelopathy is a condition related to the spinal cord that could occur due to multiple causes. This condition can be seen in any part of the spine including thoracic, cervical, or lumbar. Spinal injuries are often serious, and if the treatment is delayed or ignored, it could become worse. Severe spinal injuries are known to be treated using surgery and it might also involve the use of Orthopedic Implants.
When it comes to myelopathy, the condition can either be treated surgically or non-surgically depending upon the location and severity. If left untreated, myelopathy could develop into a permanent spinal cord injury or nerve damage.
In this post, our focus will be on discussing myelopathy in detail including its diagnosis and treatment. Let us start with the basics first.
Myelopathy is an injury that occurs in the spinal cord, and the most common reason for this is known to be the severe compression taking place due to one or another reason. Some of the common causes of myelopathy include:
As myelopathy could affect any region of the spine, it can be classified into three types:
Cervical Myelopathy
This is the condition that occurs in the neck region.
Thoracic Myelopathy
Myelopathy that is seen in the mid-region of the spine is known as thoracic myelopathy.
Lumbar Myelopathy
This is the condition in which the lower spinal region gets affected. Lumbar myelopathy is not as common as cervical and thoracic myelopathies.
Spinal cord injuries are serious and may lead to nerve compression. When this occurs, the affected person may experience loss of sensation, movement, pain, and/or discomfort. The symptoms of myelopathy depend upon the area of the affected spine. Some of the common symptoms associated with the condition may include:
Imaging tests are the key to correctly diagnosing myelopathy and eliminating the possibility of other conditions having similar symptoms. During the diagnosis, the healthcare service provider will also ask certain questions related to the problem to get an idea of what the condition could be. The imaging tests that may be ordered include:
The treatment of the condition depends upon the cause, severity, and location. Both non-surgical and surgical treatment methods are there that can be used.
Non-Surgical Method
Mild myelopathy cases can be treated with non-surgical methods that generally include medication, physical therapy, and bracing. These methods only aim to reduce the symptoms associated with the condition including pain while doing certain daily activities, and hence, they are not known to remove the compression.
Surgical Method
Surgery is often recommended to treat severe myelopathy cases while aiming to remove the compression. Surgery often requires orthopedic surgical instruments and spinal implants depending upon the condition. Different types of surgeries that may be performed include:
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