Question
I have a spur in my neck that is growing into my spinal cord.  At times this is causing substantial pain to the neck.  My concern right now however, is I have pain that shoots upward from the base of my skull into the center of my head.  Do you think this is cause for concern?  Do you think it is coming from my neck and I should go back to ortho now instead of waiting couple of months for my next appointment?  Please let me know.  Thanks - Maggie

Answer
Hi Maggie,

Well, it is possible that the spur is causing this; depends somewhat on the location of the spur. If the spur is causing cord compression and not just thecal sac indentation, I would consider taking care of this as soon as possible. Cord compression in the cervical region can cause various symptoms, known as cervical myelopathy. It can be caused by a spur, but usually is a combination of degenerative changes causing stenosis. You can see more about this at  http://www.necksolutions.com/myelopathy.html

Typically, we see symptoms radiating from base of skull upward relating to the upper cervical region. So, it is possible it is related to your spur. If your MRI studies show minimal compression of the cord or thecal sac indentation only, you may want to look into directing some therapy towards the upper cervical region; either chiropractic, physical therapy or home exercises like the nodding motion at http://www.necksolutions.com/neck-exercises.html but I would tend to stay away from anything that arches the head backward.

I hope this helps and wish you all the best.

Dr. Steve
www.NeckSolutions.com