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Causes of Cervical Spinal Stenosis

Definition
Cervical Spinal Stenosis is a serious diagnosis in which the spinal canal in the neck becomes narrow. The cervical spine is composed of seven vertebrae located in between the head and the chest, as shown in Figure 1. “Cervical Spinal Stenosis occurs at the craniovertebral junction or it appears as a developmental defect with diffuse narrowing of the cervical canal”. The main cause of this injury is changes in shape of the spinal canal due to older age. “Cervical Spinal Stenosis has become more apparent in the older population”. Overtime the discs in between the spinal column can bulge out farther than normal, thickening the tissues or even destroying them as shown in Figure 2.



Symptoms
Symptoms of this diagnosis usually develop over a long period of time and usually do not occur unless the spinal canal is squeezed. “As the disc continues to wear, it begins to collapse….over time this causes wear and tear arthritis of the facet joints”. Symptoms can vary between stiffness, pain, or numbness in the neck, shoulders, arms, hands, or legs. A person can also experience balance and coordination problems or loss of bowel and bladder control.



People Affected
Cervical Spinal Stenosis is very common throughout the population. “The amount of operations of the cervical spine in the United States was as high as 55 per 100,000 in the year 2000” (ncbi). The pain from Cervical Spinal Stenosis can range from mild to severe but in either case a doctor should be consult