QuestionI would like to know any and all possible symptoms can be displayed becos of what has been diagnosed as a severe cervical spinal stenosis. What areas of the body does this affect, and what effect, if any, could it have on the neck, throat, tongue and speech mechanism? Sure would appreciate your feeback on this. Thank you so much from ... Ardy in Green Bay, WI
Answercervical spianl stenosis
Hello Ardy,
Sorry to hear of your spinal stenosis. This is a complicated condition, with far reaching symptoms.
Yes it can affect the neck, throat, swallowing, speech, tongue. Cervical stenosis can result in pressure upon the spinal cord--- and everything below the level of the stenosis could be affected. Cervical stenosis can result in pressure upon the cervical spinal nerves, these will affect the head, face, neck, shoulders, arms- so symptoms here could be from the stenosis.
Stenosis in the neck, also called the cervical spine, usually, most often, affects the upper part of the body including the arms and hands. Stenosis is the narrowing of the bony canal that protects the spinal cord and its branching nerves to the point where it irritates or injures the spinal cord or nerves. This may be caused by a number of conditions including bone spurs or rupture of the spinal discs, the spongy pads of tissue that keep the vertebrae from grinding against each other when you bend your back. Cervical stenosis may even cause pain, numbness, or weakness in the legs. The pain may move from one part of the body to another but is often most noticeable in the neck (cervical spine).
Initial treatment for stenosis is to treat conservatively and non-invasively. These treatments could include include:
Medication such as aspirin or ibuprofen to relieve inflammation and pain, Rest, Physical therapy, Posture changes, such as lying with the knees drawn up to the chest or leaning forward while walking, may relieve the pressure on the nerves, Losing weight, Corticosteroid injections to reduce inflammation and relieve pain, cervical collar,
and of course the option I would recommend: Chiropractic Evaluation and Chiropractic treatment if appropriate.
If several months of conservative, non-invasive treatment have not improved the symptoms, and if the stenosis is severe enough, surgery to widen the spinal canal may be necessary. Because bone continues to deteriorate, additional treatment may be needed several years after even successful surgery.
People can be born with narrow spinal canals. People can develop narrowed spinal canals through injury, malalignment, progressive deterioration. Sometimes Spinal Stenosis is concurrent with OsteoArthritic degeneration (due to misalignment- often due to injury, poor posture habits, poor movement patterns).
I recommend a Chiropractic Evaluation and possible chiropractic treatment as an option in treatment. My Staten Island Chiropractic office sees cervical spinal stenosis as well as lumbar spinal stenosis patients. Safe, conservative, non-invasive chiropractic care can sometimes prevent the progression to risky invasive surgery.
Sometimes surgery is absolutely necessary, sometimes other treatment options can be safe, effective and cost-effective.
Some information I utilize in my Staten Island Chiropractic practice you may find helpful:
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Spinal Stenosis :
Spinal Stenosis is a highly VARIABLE condition. Some people run marathons and lift weights with stenosis. Some people cannot get out of bed with stenosis. Stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal. There is not a lot of room in the spinal canal. Take a nickel coin and a dime coin, place the dime upon the nickel- if the nickel is the canal (the space that the spinal cord/ spinal nerves have to run through), the dime is the spinal cord/ spinal nerves. There is not a lot of space left in reserve,,, not a lot of space to 憄lay with? (note difference: spinal CANAL vs. spinal CORD ).
A condition due to narrowing of the spinal canal which can cause nerve pinching which can lead to persistent pain in the buttocks, limping, lack of feeling in the lower extremities, and decreased physical activity (to avoid the pain).
The Silent Epidemic
The most common indication for surgery in persons aged over 60 in the United States is Lumbar Spinal Stenosis (LSS). Currently, it is estimated that as many as 400,000 Americans, most over the age of 60, may already be suffering from the symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis [The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and The Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS)] and this number is expected to grow as members of the baby boom generation begin to reach their 60s over the next decade.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, people over 60 will account for 18.7% of the domestic population in 2010 versus 16.6% in 1999. According to the United Nations' Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the trend is global with the number of persons aged 60 years or older estimated to be nearly 600 million in 1999 and is projected to grow to almost 2 billion by 2050, at which time the population of older persons will be larger than the population of children (0-14 years) for the first time in human history. The majority of the world's older persons reside in Asia (53 per cent), while Europe has the next largest share (25%).
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Exercise: The Miracle Cure
It seems the more options you give people, the more they demand. Exercise, for example, is well known for its dramatic and wide-reaching physiological effects. Yet when you counsel a patient to exercise, they generally say something like, "Yeah, doc, I know all about exercise and diet, but what can I really do to help?" Often it appears that things with which you are very familiar are automatically either ignored or discounted (married people understand this concept well).
Among the many benefits of exercise that have been scientifically documented:
? exercising three days a week raises basal metabolic rate so that even on the days you don't exercise, you are burning 300 more calories each day;
? Finnish study found exercise relieves knee pain more than anti-inflammatory drugs or rest;9
? provides long-term relief of spinal stenosis symptoms
? lowers cholesterol levels;
? improves balance and coordination, even in the elderly;
? strengthens bones;
? fights insomnia;
? reduces the effects of mental stress;
? relieves depression;
? helps control type II diabetes;
? dissolves or prevents blot clots,11 possibly explaining exercise's protective effect against heart attacks;
? decreases breast cancer risk by up to 60 percent
? cuts the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding in the elderly in half
? postpones many effects of aging;
? increases resistance to infections.
Spinal Stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal.
This can create irritation of the spinal cord or the spinal nerves. Stenosis can come about from many different causes. Just saying 搮stenosis厰 does not say much. Stenosis can be due to big bad things like a cancer or a tumor that irritates or puts pressure on the spinal cord. Stenosis can be due to a bulging or herniated disc. Tests should include MRI, Xray, perhaps CT scan to visualize the stenosis and the cause of the stenosis. Many times stenosis can be handled through noninvasive conservative care such as Chiropractic. Unfortunately, sometimes after conservative care has been tried unsuccessfully, more invasive treatments must be tried: medications (with attendant side effects), injections (with inherent risks), all the way up to invasive surgery.
One of the common causes of Spinal Stenosis is Degenerative Joint Disease (also known as Degenerative Disc Disease, Spondylitis, Spondylosis, or OsteoArthritis).
Degenerative Disk Disease
DDD = Degenerative Disc Disease; DJD = Degenerative Joint Disease; = similar/ same OsteoArthritis.
Degenerative Disc Disease (old term = DJD) is actually a quite common condition. However, the course of the condition is highly variable. Some patients with DJD literally cannot walk, yet other patients with similar X-ray/ MRI findings may be able to run marathons or lift heavy weights. Some people suffer for only a few days with pain and symptoms, some people suffer for months. Although the course is highly variable, there are certain steps that are always helpful to follow: Ice the area when painful- 10/ 15minutes on, 30/ 45 minutes off; avoid certain postures and movements; bend the knees when coughing or sneezing; bend the knees when lifting anything; do not extend legs straight out when sitting, laying down, lifting, or driving. Avoiding certain movements and postures will prevent aggravation of the condition. Practicing good postures and movement patterns will help the condition heal and be less painful. DDD, DJD, OsteoArthritis, - deteriorating discs (disk) is/ are often caused by, or often concurrent with the Vertebral Subluxation Complex. VSC is a misalignment which hastens deterioration of the joints involved, and can 憄inch?the space available for our nerves.
Vertebral Subluxation Complex (a.k.a. 憇ubluxation?
The vertebral subluxation complex is the underlying cause of many healthcare problems.
A subluxation interferes with the proper functioning of joints, and can cause osteo-arthritic degeneration, Degenerative Disk Disease, degenerative joint disease, etc.
A subluxation interferes with the proper functioning of the nervous system (the master system which controls and coordinates all function within the body) and may cause various other conditions, symptoms and problems.
Subluxation is a serious condition identified by its five parts:
Spinal Kinesiopathology:
This is fancy way of saying the bones of the spine have lost their normal motion and position. It restricts your ability to turn and bend. It sets in motion the other four components.
Neuropathophysiology:
Improper spinal function can choke, stretch, or irritate delicate nerve tissue. The resulting nerve system dysfunction can cause symptoms elsewhere in the body.
Myopathology:
Muscles supporting the spine can weaken, atrophy, or become tight and go into spasm. The resulting scar tissue changes muscle tone, requiring repeated spinal adjustments.
Histopathology:
A rise in temperature from an increase in blood and lymph supplies result in swelling and inflammation. Inflammed Discs can easily bulge, herniate, tear, or degenerate. Other soft tissues may also suffer permanent damage.
Pathophysiology:
The VSC contributes to OsteoArthritic degeneration. Bone spurs and other abnormal bony growths attempt to fuse malfunctioning spinal joints. This spinal decay, scar tissue, and long-term nerve dysfunction can cause other systems of the body to malfunction.
The Vertebral Subluxation Complex describes what happens when spinal bones lose their normal movement patterns and position. When subluxated, joints are in a stressed, vulnerable, compromised condition. Subluxation may cause Arthritis, Disk Herniation, Disk Degeneration, or aggravate such conditions.
Vertebral Subluxation cannot be corrected through chemicals (medicine), stretching, yoga, vitamins or physical therapy alone. Subluxation- a neuro/skeletal/muscular- mechanical- problem requires a mechanical correction- - - a manipulation, best performed with the chiropractic adjustment.
Certainly; safe, effective, cost effective, noninvasive, conservative Chiropractic care should be utilized, if even for a few weeks- before proceeding to risky medication or risky, invasive surgery. Visit your local family Doctor of Chiropractic for an evaluation and treatment which may be necessary.
Dr. Victor E. Dolan, Doctor of Chiropractic; Diplomat, American Chiropractic Board of Sport Physicians; Diplomat, American Academy of Pain Management; Certified Clinical Nutritionist (IAACN); FIRST Chief of Chiropractic in a Hospital in New York State (DHSI); As Seen in PREVENTION Magazine
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PAIN
Pain is a 憆ed light on the dashboard?
Pain is your body telling you that something is wrong.
That RED LIGHT on the dashboard of your car- -- do you ignore it until the car breaks down, or do you get it checked and correct the problem? Pain, pain in your body- -- do you ignore it until your body breaks down, or do you get it checked and correct the problem? Pain, do you cover up the pain by taking a painkiller? Take a painkiller, mask the pain, and allow a problem to progress in your body?
NOTICE ON PAIN RELIEVERS: Label changes ORDERED by FDA; the FDA announced proposed label changes for OTC over-the-counter pain relievers to include the potential for stomach bleeding and liver damage (FDA news 206- 207; 12-9-06) ;
The American Heart Association issued a scientific statement recommending medical doctors change the way they prescribe OTC pain relievers from a first choice to an alternate of recommending non-pharmacologic treatment (AHA statement 2-26-07).
Pain can often be the result of the Vertebral Subluxation Complex.
Vertebral Subluxation ( 慥SC?, 憇ubluxation? )
Vertebral Subluxation is actually a quite common condition. Doctors of Chiropractic look for pathological conditions which may require referral to other specialties, and also look for 慡ubluxation? Other disciplines look for pathology, but overlook the importance of alignment and movement in the spine which affects our nervous system (the master control system- ALL health disciplines learn this).
Only a Doctor of Chiropractic will evaluate and treat for VSC.
The course of VSC is highly variable. Some patients with VSC literally cannot walk, yet other patients with similar test findings may be able to run marathons or lift heavy weights. Some patients immediately develop symptoms related to the VSC, some patients take years to develop symptoms. Some people suffer for only a few days with pain and symptoms, some people suffer for months. Some people recover in days, some take months or years, depending upon severity of the condition.
Vertebral Subluxation Complex (a.k.a. 憇ubluxation?
The vertebral subluxation complex is the underlying cause of many healthcare problems.
A subluxation interferes with the proper functioning of the nervous system (the master system which controls and coordinates all function within the body) and may cause various other conditions, symptoms and problems.
Subluxation is a serious condition identified by its five parts:
Spinal Kinesiopathology: This is fancy way of saying the bones of the spine have lost their normal motion and position. It restricts your ability to turn and bend. It sets in motion the other four components.
Neuropathophysiology: Improper spinal function can choke, stretch, or irritate delicate nerve tissue. The resulting nerve system dysfunction can cause symptoms elsewhere in the body.
Myopathology: Muscles supporting the spine can weaken, atrophy, or become tight and go into spasm. The resulting scar tissue changes muscle tone, requiring repeated spinal adjustments.
Histopathology: A rise in temperature from an increase in blood and lymph supplies result in swelling and inflammation. Discs can bulge, herniate, tear, or degenerate. Other soft tissues may suffer permanent damage.
Pathophysiology: The VSC contributes to OsteoArthritic degeneration. Bone spurs and other abnormal bony growths attempt to fuse malfunctioning spinal joints. This spinal decay, scar tissue, and long-term nerve dysfunction can cause other systems of the body to malfunction.
The Vertebral Subluxation Complex describes what happens when spinal bones lose their normal movement patterns and position. When subluxated, joints are in a stressed, vulnerable, compromised condition. Subluxation may cause Arthritis, Disk Herniation, or aggravate such conditions.
Vertebral Subluxation cannot be corrected through chemicals (medicine), stretching, yoga, vitamins or physical therapy alone. Subluxation- a neuro/skeletal/muscular- mechanical- problem requires a mechanical correction- - - a manipulation, best performed with the chiropractic adjustment.
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There are many treatment options available to the Doctor of Chiropractic; from nutritional supplementation to calm nerves, slow progression of osteoarthritis, calm muscle spasm, to soft tissue techniques, range of motion, nonsurgical spinal decompression, instrument adjustment, manual adjustment, physiotherapeutic modality- many options exist within the Doctor of Chiropractic's amamentarium.
I hope this helps.
Symptoms: Varied. None- to severe.
Treatment options: wide treatment options, see above.
Prognosis: guarded, this is a complicated condition, but course of condition is highly variable with and without various treatments.
Can it affect neck, throat, tongue and speech mechanism? Yes.
I have a gentleman currently treating for cervical stenosis due to osteoarthritic degeneration and a large ANTERIOR spur which affected his swallowing. Adjustment relieved his swallowing symptoms, neck pain and arm/hand pain. Currently treating approximately once per month on a preventive basis.
My recommendation: As well as your medical doctor options (medicine and surgery), I recommend a doctor of chiropractic to evaluate your condition.
I hope this helps.
I wish you good luck and Good Health Naturally. If further information is necessary, please do not hesitate to re-contact me here at AllExperts.com ( http://allexperts.com/ep/965-100794/Chiropractors/Victor-Dolan-DC-DACBSP.htm )
Thank you, your Staten Island Chiropractor friend signing off,
Dr. Victor Dolan, DC
http://drvictordolan.chiroweb.com (email newsletter)
