Cervical Spinal Stenosis ( Cervical Spondylosis )

Stenosis means narrowing of a structure and cervical spinal stenosis refers to the narrowing or tightening of the spinal canal in the neck. The spinal canal is the bony tube in which the spinal cord and the nerve roots travel to our arms and legs. It’s narrowing can lead to pinching, squeezing, and compression of the nerve roots or can also damage the spinal cord itself. Eventually, the person will show various symptoms like pain, stiffness, and incontinence.

Cervical spinal stenosis is a slow and progressive disorder that is usually caused due to age-related degeneration in the shape and size of the spinal canal. It most commonly occurs in people older than 50 years. Other than this, the main causes of cervical stenosis include the following:

• Overgrowth of bone due to osteoporosis
• Herniated disks
• Stiff and thickened ligaments
• Tumor
• Spinal injuries/trauma
• Congenital (narrow spinal canal by birth)

Diagnosis of Cervical Stenosis

Diagnosis of cervical stenosis starts with a complete history along with a thorough physical and neurological examination of the patient. This will give a good idea about the problem to the physician. But to make sure of the exact diagnosis, several diagnostic tests are carried out including:

• X-rays
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
• CT myelogram (in case MRI is not possible)