Cervical Spine Disorders

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is a neck condition that arises when the spinal cord becomes compressed — or squeezed — due to the wear-and-tear changes that occur in the spine as we age. The condition commonly occurs in patients over the age of 50.Because the spinal cord carries nerve impulses to many regions in the body, patients with CSM can experience a wide variety of symptoms. Weakness and numbness in the hands and arms, loss of balance and coordination, and neck pain can all result when the normal flow of nerve impulses through the spinal cord is interrupted.

Anatomy Your spine is made up of 24 bones, called vertebrae, that are stacked on top of one another.

The seven small vertebrae that begin at the base of the skull and form the neck comprise the cervical spine.

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy occurs in the cervical spine — the seven small vertebrae that form the neck

Other parts of your spine include:

Spinal cord and nerves. The spinal cord extends from the skull to your lower back and travels through the middle part of each stacked vertebra, called the central canal. Nerves branch out from the spinal cord through openings in the vertebrae (foramen) and carry messages between the brain and muscles.

Spinal nerve root.

Intervertebral disks. In between your vertebrae are flexible intervertebral disks. They act as shock absorbers when you walk or run.

Intervertebral disks are flat and round and about a half inch thick. They are made up of two components:

A healthy intervertebral disk.

Causes:

• Age
• Sports Injury
• Accidents
• Being overweight and not exercising
• Having a job that requires heavy lifting or a lot of bending and twisting
• Past neck injury (often several years before)
• Past spine surgery
• Ruptured or slipped disk
• Severe arthritis
• Small fractures to the spine from osteoporosis

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