My Spine - Cervical
See the chapter Tests and Scans for the terminology that you will find on your
MRI scan report and what it means in plain English. Sometimes electromyo-
grams (EMG) are also used (see the chapter Tests and Scans) and this test
measures the electrical conduction in nerve roots and adds to other diagnos-
tic tests.
How is it treated?
The clinical deterioration in myelopathy can usually not be reversed but only
halted. This is only achieved by surgery. Mild improvement can occur, but is
not guaranteed. The treatment consists of surgical decompression of the
spinal cord and the nerves that arise from the spinal cord.
The operation can be from the front of the spine and these operations are
called discectomies and corpectomies (see the chapter Anterior Cervical
Discectomy) and are usually accompanied by an intervertebral fusion.
Sometimes the operation is done from the back and these operations are
called a laminectomy and laminoplasty (see the chapter Cervical
Laminoplasty and Laminectomy) and they may sometimes be accompanied
by a posterior spinal fusion. A posterior cervical fusion (see the chapter
Posterior Cervical Fusion) is performed if the surgery to decompress the
nerves is so extensive that it leaves the spine unstable.
Does this treatment have any complications?
Managing this condition without surgery almost always leads to a progression
in the symptoms of the patient. Should surgical treatment not be performed,
the clinical symptoms can remain unchanged for long periods of time, but
sudden deterioration can occur without warning. The surgical management
carries rare, but potentially serious complications. The chapter Your eck
Operation contains more specific detail and you should discuss this with your
specialist. Some of the most feared risks would include nerve damage, which
may be damage to the nerves leaving the spinal canal or damage to the spinal
cord itself.
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