What is Myelopathy?
Myelopathy describes any neurologic deficit related to the spinal cord. It can be cervical, thoracic or lumbar, the most common of which is cervical spondylotic myelopathy and is caused by arthritic changes the cervical spine.
Symptoms
Your symptoms will depend on the location and extent of your deficit. You may experience:
- Weakness, spasticity, clumsiness
- A defect in the function of one or more of the senses
- Bowel and bladder issues
- Sexual dysfunction
Treatment
If your symptoms are mild, you may find relief with non-surgical treatments. These include pain medication, activity modification or physical therapy. Any treatment program should be under the guidance of a medical professional because with myelopathy the spinal cord is being overly compressed. If your condition requires surgery, there are several surgical options. Our team will be happy to discuss surgical options should that be the necessary course of treatment for you.