SYMPTOMS OF CERVICAL STENOSIS

The symptoms of cervical stenosis are caused by degenerative changes that occur in the FIVE joints between each pair of bones in the neck:

1. One Disc joint, a shock absorber.

2. Two Facet joints that guide and direct the movements of the head and neck, and

3. Two Uncinate joints that support the disc, and prevent it herniating into the foramen and injuring the nerve roots.

Cervical spinal stenosis is caused by the degenerative changes, called Immobilisation Arthritis, that occurs in these joints when they become fixated.

The first signs of this degenerative process are discomfort and then later frank pain in the joints and muscles of the neck. Then, when it begins affecting the nerves, referred pain starts, perhaps headaches, and often pain in the shoulder, or elbow and tingling and numbness in the arm and hand. More seriously, weakness may develop.

In the later stage of this Immobilisation Arthritis large bony spurs may start to affect not only the individual nerves but, by infringing on the spinal canal and pressing on the spinal cord itself, they may cause neck stenosis. The size of the spinal canal literally becomes smaller and, as the spurs begin to affect the cord a large variety of symptoms of spinal stenosis may begin. This is called 'myelopathy'. In Latin, 'myel' has to do with the spinal cord; 'opathy' - a condition of.

Really the symptoms of cervical stenosis are more complicated, but we'll keep this simple. Let's just say that a large ligament in the spinal canal may become thickened after injury, a slipped disc can add to the woes by suddenly taking up more room and, very rarely, a tumour may slowly form within the canal.

Each vertebra in your neck has a large hole in the centre so that, when they stack on top of each other, they form a hollow tube, the spinal canal, which allows passage and protects the spinal cord and its nerve roots.

The spinal cord itself is a large collection of nerves that carry messages to and from your brain. These messages run in both directions to the whole body – if the message to your body is impeded you may, for example, experience a deep sense of fatigue in the arms and legs and electric shocks running down the back when you flex your head. If the messages running from your body to brain are affected, then there may be numbness in the limbs, and loss of PROPRIOCEPTION. Your brain doesn’t know where your feet are, and you inexplicably may begin to stagger and lose your balance.

All the organs in your body need nerves in order to function properly. Thus the symptoms of cervical stenosis can be experienced all over the body and, depending on which part of the spinal cord is affected, may vary considerably in different people. If only one nerve root is affected, the symptoms will be felt on only one part of the body, for example in the ring and small finger.

Synovial Joints

In a synovial joint, two bones lined with very hard, glistening-smooth, living cartilage (just look at the end of the thigh in a leg of lamb) are bathed in a nutrient-rich fluid that lubricates the joint and feeds the cartilage.

There is now decades of research confirming that this cartilage is totally dependent on this fluid sloshing about in the joint. Artificially fixate this joint and within thirteen hours that cartilage begins to degenerate, called "immobilisation arthritis" - bony spurs start forming which are at the root of the symptoms of spinal stenosis. Read more about Immobilisation Arthritis.

Cervical stenosis

1. An area of skin which becomes numb or very sensitive. (Many other conditions can cause this, eg shingles.)
   
   
2. An electric shooting pain down the back, and possibly into the limbs, on flexion of the head and neck. (called Lhermitte's sign.)

3. Muscular weakness

4. Altered manner of walking, "gait". In effect, loss of coordination.

5. Altered bladder or bowel function.

In particular, if any of these symptoms are present, and there is severe associated stiffness of the neck, then then it is reasonable to assume, until proved otherwise, that these are the symptoms of cervical stenosis.

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