WHAT IS CERVICAL SPINAL STENOSIS?
Cervical spinal stenosis, also known as cervical stenosis, occurs when degenerative changes or trauma cause the cervical spinal canal to narrow. Compression of the spinal cord, also known as myelopathy, can result in neurologic impairments if the space within the spinal canal is diminished too much.
What Causes Cervical Stenosis?
With today’s technology, phones and computers are becoming more and more a part of our activities of daily living. Although this creates convenience for our lives, it can lead to cervical spinal stenosis.
Looking down too much accelerates mechanical stress in the neck and causes the cervical vertebra to shift backward and impinges the nerves. The majority of headaches can be traced back to neck flexion (looking down excessively) while looking at phones and computers.
Once the nerves in the neck are compressed, changes in the organs and glands associated with the cervical neurology will soon start to produce unwanted health symptoms.
Cervical spinal stenosis can result in headaches, vertigo, high blood pressure, ringing in the ears, sleep apnea, difficulty swallowing, thyroid malfunction, loss range of motion, neck, shoulder, arm, wrist pain and numbness in the arms and hands.
Once the cervical vertebra misaligns, accelerated aging can be observed on weight-bearing X-rays. Disc degeneration or disc desiccation can lead to a lifetime of neck pain and inability to move the neck freely. This can affect a person’s ability to drive an automobile safely and ultimately lead to a loss of independency.