At Georgia Brain & Spine Center
As your neck ages, it can become a source of pain. Sometimes you can trace your neck pain back to an injury, sports-related accident, slip and fall situation, or car accident. Other times, neck pain can develop on its own – usually as a result of degenerative disease. Disc degeneration, overgrowth of bone and ligaments, loosening of the joints of the spine, and a loss of the normal alignment of the neck can all occur. This might result in neck pain. It can also result in compression of a spinal nerve root that causes neck, shoulder, and arm pain and weakness. In extreme circumstances, there can be compression of the spinal cord itself that results in difficulty walking, loss of hand dexterity, sensory problems, and weakness. This serious condition caused by dysfunction of the spinal cord is called myelopathy.
Treatment of Neck Pain and Spinal Cord Compression
Neck pain and pain resulting from nerve root compression often resolves with minimal treatment and we will make every effort to get your through without surgery. We use such conservative treatments as medications, physical therapy and at times interventional injections such as epidural and facet blocks to attempt to improve your condition. In some situations, surgery is required to give you a speedy recovery and when that happens, our qualified surgeons are ready to help. Spinal cord compression is a serious condition and the progression of symptoms can be highly variable and unpredictable. Without surgery, most patients will deteriorate over time and when compression has been longstanding the spinal cord can suffer irreversible injury. Because of this, our surgeons are here to offer you prompt surgery to remove pressure on your spinal cord, giving you the best chance at a successful recovery.