The only obvious sign of infertility is when there is no conception after a couple has tried for many months. In fact, if a couple hasn’t conceived after at least one year, then problems may exist.

The truth is, there is no real sign to determine if infertility issues are present. The only clue is when being tested for a particular issue and if the tests return positive, then action can be taken to rectify the problem if possible.

Cervical Mucus

This article is not intended to provide false hope but one area which has gathered momentum in recent years is the subject of cervical mucus.

Lack of or very little cervical mucus, or the presence of it in acidic form in a woman is said to have an impact on the male’s sperm having the ability to travel towards the egg. Cervical mucus plays a role in this process and without it, the sperm will have difficulty achieving it’s aim.

How can this help you in relation to being a sign of infertility? Well, one of two ways. You can either perform your own test for the presence of healthy cervical mucus or talk to your doctor about it before taking any action.

Collecting Mucus Samples

If you are performing the test at home make sure your hands are hygienically clean. By simply inserting the finger as close to the cervix as you can and collecting a sample, you’re looking for fluid which is of a clear and slippery nature.

This is considered highly desirable and it’s when a woman is at her most fertile. Obviously, heading into and during ovulation will be optimal time for getting pregnant. You’re aim is to monitor this and assume your best chances of becoming pregnant is when the mucus is at this level.

If you’re not sure about conducting such a test then your doctor can give you further information.

As mentioned earlier, this is just a guide and not the answer to your fertility problems. You must keep in mind the art of conception is a complex thing and there are many variables which can affect getting pregnant.

Remember, the problem may not lie with you but your partner. Male infertility is just as common and that’s why it’s always suggested to remain positive during this investigative period. You’ll not really get a sign of infertility until all avenues have been explored.

Don’t get me wrong…the whole spine is important but your neck spine or cervical region is the most important.

Why?

The neck is the closest part of your spine to the brain which is the main control center of the body. Communication comes from your brain, down the spinal cord, out the nerve roots, to nerves that branch into smaller and smaller nerves going to all parts of the body.

Research has shown that the brain stem (the lower part of the brain even extends down to the 2nd or 3rd vertebrae (bones of the spine). Because of this, there is a greater amount of nervous system in the upper cervical spine.

We have a greater amount of nervous system reactions and communications going on in the brain compared to the rest of the spine or back. Remember it is the main control of the entire body…

Also, if you think about it, it’s like a hose to a sprinkler system…if you block flow at the source of the water, then now water gets to any of the sprinkler system or lawn for that matter. If you have a blockage to the last sprinkler head in the line, you get water to the whole lawn except the area at the end where the last sprinkler would supply.

The nervous system and spine is much the same! If you have a problem high up in the spine it may cause problems all the way down the line!

Think about an extreme case where someone has a major accident or injury to the neck and because of it they become paralyzed from the neck down. Now, this is an extreme example that I would hope no one would ever have to go through, but on a small scale even mild pressure creates some loss in communication to the rest of the body.

This pressure can manifest it self as neck or back pain, headaches, arm and hand problems, muscle tension just to name a few.

SYMPTOMS LIKE PAIN ARE THE BODY’S WAY OF TELLING US SOMETHING IS WRONG!

…And over time if we keep pressure there it tends to get worse!

What causes pressure on the upper neck blocking the flow of the nerves? -Misalignments of the spine!!! - When the vertebrae get shifted from poor posture, repetitive stress or strain, or traumas like falls and whiplash, malpositions or misalignments can occur.

Some of the time the body corrects itself…but sometimes it does not.

What can be done to eliminate possible neck spine misalignments?

Use a good neck support pillow. A good pillow is one that puts your spine in its best position, which allows the spine and spinal cord to stay relaxed and keeps all of the nerves free from any blockage or interference.

Specifically look for a traction neck pillow, such as Arc4life’s Cervical Traction Neck Pillow- it will put your spine into the best position while you are sleeping and provide light traction at the same time.

Sciatica is the name given to the disease in which there is pain, tingling or numbness due to irritation of the nerve roots that form the sciatic nerve, which originates in the lower back and extends down into both the legs till the feet. Cervical Spondylosis is the name given to the disease in which there is pain, tingling or numbness due to irritation of the nerve roots that form the brachial nerve, which originates in the neck and extends down into both the arms till the hands.

Both diseases are discussed here together, since the causative factors, symptoms and the treatment required for both are very much similar, only the location of the pain is different. The pain of sciatica is in the lower back, radiating down to the leg and foot, whereas the pain of cervical spondylosis is in the neck and shoulder, radiating down to the arm and fingers. Sciatica pain has typically more of a dramatic onset, usually due to a ruptured or herniated disc which presses on the nerve roots and causes the pain. The pain can be severe enough to cause acute limitation of movement. This can happen in cervical spondylosis too, however, here it is more common to have a gradual onset of pain due to degeneration of the neck vertebrae.

In Ayurveda, sciatica is called as “Grudhraci” and cervical spondylosis is called as “Vishwachi”. Ayurvedic treatment of sciatica consists of the following procedures: (i) “Snehan” ( use of local medicated lubricants) (ii) “Swedan” (local fomentation) (iii) “Basti” (Medicated enema) (iv) “Anuloman” ( mild laxative treatment for prolonged periods) (v) “Dahan” (local heat branding ) and (vi) “Shaman” ( symptomatic oral treatment).

Vishgarbha oil in acute condition, and Mahanarayan oil ( containing mainly Asparagus racemosus) for chronic pain is used for local snehan procedure. Local fomentation can be done mainly in two ways. The first is “Naadi swedan” in which, a jet of medicated steam is directed at the back and affected leg, usually after the snehan procedure. A decoction of Nirgundi (Vitex negundo) is usually used for this procedure. The second procedure is called as “Awagah swedan”, in which the patient is made to recline in a tub filled with warm decoction of Nirgundi, Dashmool (Ten Roots) or ErandMool (Root of Ricinus communis).

Medicated enemas are given using Vishgarbha oil, Mahasahachar oil and Mahanarayan oil.

Castor oil and Haritaki (Terminalia chebula) treated with castor oil are used for mild, prolonged laxative treatment.

Local heat branding is used by some physicians to reduce severe pain in the leg. The branding is usually done at the site of maximum tenderness in the lower back or buttock .

Oral medications include Mahavat Vidhwans, Vata Gajankush, Maharasnadi decoction, Triphala Guggulu, and Yograj Guggulu. Guggulu (Commiphora mukul) compounds and other herbal combinations are given for prolonged periods depending upon the symptoms and severity of pain.

Most patients respond well to these medicines and are usually cured in a period of 1- 3 months. For degeneration of the cartilage or bones, prolonged treatment may be required. Though rare, it is important to rule out other cause of sciatica, like tumor. If there is gross structural damage to the back-bone, this may have to be first treated surgically. Ayurvedic herbal medicines, given later, may help in recovery of nerve damage.

The same treatment applies to cervical spondylosis, except that enema and laxative treatment may not be helpful here, and the heat branding is done on the shoulder blade. Fomentation is done using the “naadi swedan” procedure. A specialized form of enema, called “Tikta-ksheer basti” is used in severe cervical spondylosis, and the repeated use of this enema gives results where other treatments have failed.

It is advisable to avoid cold (refrigerated) food products, as also foods which may cause abdominal bloating. It is also better to refrain from very vigorous and heavy work or exercise.

Sadly, self breast examination seems to be unimportant for some women who choose to ignore a health issue as vital to secure their well being, ignoring any indication that breast cancer is developing can result in the patient having to fight for their life. If an examination of the breasts had taken place in some unfortunate cases the whole scenario would have just involved treating the breast cancer and no involvement of an undertaker. Women need to wise up because if they continue to carry ignorance as an ally to help beat this battle - then they lose. Winning includes modern medicines. Early cancer treatment betters survival odds hence giving a patient the chance to carry on with their life instead of throwing it away.

The Facts:

Cervical cancer accounts for 1% of all cancers in the UK causing over 1100 deaths every year. In the United States in 2002, over 12,000 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer and nearly 4000 women died of the disease that year. About 3700 women were expected to die of the disease in 2006.

World-wide, over 270,000 women die of cervical cancer each year and it accounts for 9% of all female cancer deaths annually with women in the developing world bearing the brunt of this disease. Cervical cancer is the commonest diagnosed cancer among women in Central America and Southern Africa.

With the introduction of regular cervical cancer screening using smears, the rate of the disease and death from it in western countries has fallen steadily over the years. In the United States, the annual rate of fall has been around 4.5% but it is still a significant cause of morbidity and mortality among women of all age groups.

The HPV Vaccine

The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection is known to be the leading predisposing factor to cervical changes which lead to cervical cancer. The infection accounts for almost all cervical cancers. It is also responsible for genital warts.

HPV is the commonest sexually transmitted infection in the United States and quite possibly the world. Crucially it is almost always symptom-less at the time of transmission.

There are over 100 strains or subtypes of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), a third of which are sexually transmitted. The other non-sexually transmitted strains are dubbed low-risk and possibly clinically insignificant.

The strains that are known to predispose to cervical cancer are subtypes 16, 18, 31, 33 and a few others.

Subtypes 16 and 18 are by far the most important accounting for 70% of cervical cancers.

Subtypes 6 and 11 are the strains most responsible for genital warts (90%).

The newly introduced HPV vaccine (Gardasil®) protects against subtypes 6, 11, 16 and 18. These as shown above, are responsible for the vast majority of genital warts and cervical cancer cases. What’s more, studies have shown the vaccine to be almost 100% effective in preventing cervical cancer and other diseases, including dysplasia (pre-cancer) of the cervix, vulva and vagina, and genital warts, caused by the four HPV strains . That is so if given to girls and women who have not been exposed to the virus. With that logic, it has been recommended that it be made available to girls and young women from the age of 9 to 26 years. With universal coverage, such a program has the potential of dramatically cutting down the rate of cervical cancer and save millions of lives.

In the United States, Indiana became the first state in January 2007 to legislate for this vaccine. The bill requires girls to be vaccinated against HPV before the start of sixth grade. Texas followed soon after, via an executive order in February 2007, launching the vaccination program starting with girls entering the 6th grade in 2008. The order also makes the vaccine available free to uninsured girls aged 9 to 18. This is an example of bold political foresight and decision making. Other states are almost certain to follow suit.

In Britain, where such a program would fall under the auspices of the National Health Service (and therefore significant long term budgetary implications), it is under active consideration. It is, however, already available privately at a total cost of about £450 for the full course (three doses). This is significant for the individual who might feel impatient with the grinding of the state machinery towards decision making.

The Age

It is clear why the recommended start age is 9 years. It is to ensure girls are protected well before they become sexually active. HPV is largely sexually transmitted and the whole process starts there. For some, that process inexorably leads to pre-cancer (dysplasia) changes and then cancer. This is a very distressing disease which might eliminate the woman’s fertility, lead to premature menopause and for some, tragically, death. The issue of age has exercised many a mind and has been one of the main areas of contention in this debate.

There is a school of thought that argues that giving this vaccine to such young girls is giving them a greenlight to be sexually active without worrying about consequences. Personally, this is a track of reasoning that I find absurd. This is similar to the mainly religious lobby which frowns upon the availability of condoms. Only it is worse. Unfortunately, this anti-vaccine lobby is quite powerful and voluble and sadly the most vulnerable members of our societies are the most susceptible to this self-righteous pious posturing. Encouragingly, in a recent study by Cancer Research UK, most (75%) mothers were in favour of having their daughters vaccinated and 80% of them felt 10-14 years will be the appropriate age.

Young girls grow into young women and most young women, sooner or later, become sexually active. The sexual activity involves another individual (usually) which means it removes the absolute control the individual might want to have about its consequences. This is regardless of whether the sexual activity is in a religiously acceptable context or not. It follows, therefore, that any reasonable individual will applaud the availability of this protection for our children and young women against one of these perennial scourges.

The HPV vaccine is a very important milestone in our fight against cancer. I put its advent, not quite, but almost at par with the discovery of Aspirin and Penicillin. Unsung and shrugged shoulders at launch but now responsible for saved lives and wellbeing of billions of people across the world over the intervening decades. It is incumbent upon those in the know to spread the word.

The statistics of cervical cancer in the United States, according to American Cancer Society (ACS), shows that about 11,150 women are diagnosing with this cancer and approximately 3,670 women die from this cancer every year.

To understand more about cervical cancer, it is important to note what a cervix is first. The cervix is the lower part of the uterus (womb) that connects the uterus to the vagina (birth canal) in a woman’s body.

Usually, cervical cancer exhibits no symptoms to detect the presence of cancer in your body. It is known as a slow growing form of cancer. When cancer develops in your body, the healthy cells in the cervix begin to change into abnormal cells, which then turn into pre-cancerous cells. If left untreated, these pre-cancerous cells will turn into cancer.
Risk factors of cervical cancer:
Although the cause of cervical cancer is not known there are certain risk factors that increase the risk of developing this cancer. Risk factors are the things that will affect the chances of developing a disease greater.

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), a sexual transmitted disease is highly associated with invasive cervical cancer.

Sexual transmitted diseases occur due to sexual contacts with an infected person. Chlamydia, syphilis, gonorrhea, genital herpes, HIV/AIDS are some of he examples of sexual transmitted diseases.

Other risk factors that increase your chances of developing cervical cancer are: a history of sexual transmitted diseases, having sexual intercourse with multiple partners, having sexual activities in very young age (without using contraceptives).

Smoking doubles your risk of having cancer of the cervix. Weakened immune system, regular usage of birth control pills, age, giving birth to many children, and irregular pap tests increases your risk of developing cervical cancer.

As the cause of cervical cancer is unknown, it can be detected with regular Pap tests or pap smears. It is very important for you to have regular Pap tests to identify the condition early to take appropriate treatment and prevent cervical cancer from developing.
Pap test to detect cervical cancer:
With Pap tests, you can detect the cancer in the early stages before it spreads to other parts of the body. Pap smear is a procedure where scraped cells from the cervix are examined under a microscope to check for the changes in the cells of your cervix that leads to cervical cancer.

The rate of cervical cancer in women has greatly decreased in recent years in the United States due to regular pap smears.

As cervical cancer is a malignant tumor, it is very important for you to have Pap tests done annually. Remember, it is not a good idea to wait for signs to consult a doctor as early detection is the key to being treated successfully.

This article will discuss what a cervical disc is, the most common conditions that can develop with one, the causes of these conditions, as well as the most common symptoms and treatments recommended.

Let’s begin with a discussion of what a cervical disc is. The discs of the spine are cushions that separate each set of bones in the back. The main purpose of these discs is to absorb shock when you move. Without them, the shock would be absorbed by the bones of the spine, which would be very painful.

Each disc is composed of two parts - a strong outer covering called the annulus, and a soft jelly center called the nucleus. The jelly in the center is very important because this is where the discs of the spine store oxygen and nutrients for proper health, as well as healing any problems that develop with the disc.

This fact becomes very significant when you consider that the discs of the spine do not have a very good blood supply. Your body normally depends on the blood to bring oxygen and nutrition for proper health, but because the spinal discs don’t have this normal blood flow, the nucleus is absolutely vital.

The most common problems that can develop with a cervical disc are a bulging or herniated disc, and degenerative disc disease (which is a form of arthritis).

In the case of a bulging disc, the strong outer covering tears, and the jelly in the center of the disc begins to shift into the weak area. This creates a “bulge” in the disc. What’s interesting about this condition is that the pain from it actually comes from the nerves of the spine, which are located directly behind each disc (which is where the discs tend to bulge).

Believe it or not, the discs of the spine are actually designed to not feel pain. This makes sense when you consider that the main function is shock absorption. If they could feel pain, you would be hurting every time you move!

The spinal nerves are very sensitive, so any amount of pressure from a bulging disc will cause pain. Also, because these nerves control everything in the body, it’s also common for other symptoms to develop, which you may not associate with the spine. I’ll be giving you some examples of these symptoms in a moment, but let’s first talk about degenerative disc disease.

Degenerative Disc Disease occurs when the jelly in the center of the disc starts to dehydrate (it loses its water, and essentially starts to dry up). When this occurs, the disc starts to become shorter. This will also cause the space where the nerves exit the spine to become smaller, and once again, you have pressure on the nerves.

In both of these cases, the symptoms can be very similar because of the nerves involved.

In the case of a cervical disc, the most common symptoms you may experience are neck pain, pain in the shoulders, arms, or hands (you may also experience burning, pins and needles, or numbness in these areas), headaches, chest pain, thyroid problems (which could lead to weight problems), blurry vision, and ringing in the ears.

Although one may have never associated these areas of the body with the neck, these symptoms commonly occur because these areas of the body are controlled by the nerves of the cervical spine.

The causes of these conditions are very different. A bulging disc or a herniated disc usually occurs due to an injury (such as a car accident, lifting something too heavy, a fall, etc.). It’s also possible for a person to be born with a genetic predisposition for weaker spinal discs, which would lead to the problem.

The cause of degenerative disc disease is wear-and-tear over time. However, the beginning of this condition is also often trauma, because injuries to the spine that are not treated properly will cause the spine to deteriorate more quickly.

I want to stress that this condition is not age related! Most people associate arthritis with age, which simply isn’t the truth. Arthritis is usually localized to joints that have been used too much (such as the hands, knees, shoulders, and spine).

If you look at degenerative disc disease of a cervical disc, you will see that it is usually only located in 1 or 2 discs - not every one of them. So, I ask you this - if degenerative disc disease (arthritis) were simply due to age, wouldn’t you see it in EVERY disc of the spine? After all, they’re all the same age, aren’t they?

The reason I bring this up is because people often use their age to “give up” on trying to experience relief - they just accept it. There are plenty of treatment options for this condition, and we’ll discuss that next.

With either of these conditions, most doctors will recommend the same treatments - medications (usually pain relievers and muscle relaxers), injections (such as cortisone and epidurals), physical therapy, and surgery (as a last resort).

Unfortunately, the success rates of these traditional treatments are usually very low. However, there are a number of other alternative treatments that are more effective for cervical disc conditions. Alternative treatments such as chiropractic, massage therapy, acupuncture, and nutritional supplementation are among the best options for these problems.

CERVICAL SPONDYLOSIS - AUXILIARY TREATMENT - YOGA

There is a strong tendency for the symptoms of cervical spondylosis to subside spontaneously, though they may persist for several months and the structural changes are clearly permanent.

Treatment is thus aimed at assisting natural resolution of temporarily inflamed or edematous soft tissues.

In mild cases physiotherapy may be recommended (radiant heal, short wave diathermy, massage, traction or exercises).

In the more severe cases judicious use of a close-fitting cervical collar for supporting the neck (it should be worn for 1-3 months depending on progress) and rest to the neck is advisable.

In the exceptional cases in which the spinal cord is constricted, decompression from front or by laminectomy may be required and thereafter it may be advisable to fuse the affected segments of the spinal column by a bone-grafting operation.

Physiotherapy

Once the neck problem is diagnosed, treatment can be decided.

In most neck conditions, pressure on the neck causes pain and pain causes muscle spasms, setting up a cycle. The best way to break the cycle and stop the pain is to relieve both pressure and spasms. There are various approaches to achieve each of these goals. Many of them require daily applications, so they must be done by the patient at home.

Relief of pressure:

Lying down is perhaps the simplest way to relieving the neck of its heavy load. Bed rest gives the muscles a chance to recover. The duration of bed rest should be advised by the physiotherapist.

Not only is spinal molding a relaxing way to start and end your body, it also reshapes your spine into its natural curves. Begin by lying on the floor or g on a firm mattress with rolled-up towels under your neck and low back. Your legs may be straight or bent. Lie in this position for 15-20 minutes.

Cervical collar helps the neck muscles support the head, it also reduces neck mobility. The therapist may prescribe wearing of a cervical collar for the acute phase of neck problems and the duration of wearing it. The collar should fit snugly around the neck and be long enough to support the chin. Men can minimize irritation from the collar by shaving frequently.

Extension and flexion is especially helpful when you feel your neck and back stiffen. While sitting, place your hands on your knees and push down. Slowly arch your back and bend your back backward. Then slowly slump forward. Repeat this exercise 10 times.

Side bends increase your side-to-side flexibility. Start by placing your fingers together and pointing your elbows outward. Bend at the waist, tilting your body to one side as far as you can. Then bend your head and neck in the same direction. Repeat on your other side. Repeat this exercise 10 times.

This exercise increases the flexibility of your entire spine. To begin, place your fingers together and point your elbows outward. Slowly and gently twist at your waist, rotating your head and neck to the same side. Repeat toward the other side. Repeat this exercise 10 times.

Cervical disc disease is a chronic condition of the spine, in which one of the spinal discs in the neck deteriorate over time. This article will discuss the details of what cervical disc disease is, the causes of the condition, symptoms associated with it, as well as the most effective treatment options available for relief.

But before we discuss all of that, we need to have a basic understanding of what the discs of the spine are, what their purpose is, and how they function.

The spinal discs are cushions that separate each set of bones in the spine. Their primary function is to absorb shock with movement, which prevents the bones from the spine from breaking and deteriorating.

Each spinal disc is composed of two parts - a strong outer covering called the annulus, and a soft jelly center called the nucleus. When discussing cervical disc disease, it is very important that we talk about the nucleus in a little more detail, because this is actually where this condition occurs.

The nucleus, or jelly center of the disc, is very important, because this is where the disc will store oxygen and nutrition in order for the disc to stay healthy. One of the biggest problems with disc conditions is that they are very stubborn to heal.

The reason for this is that the spinal discs do not receive very good blood flow, which is the body’s normal way of transporting oxygen and nutrients to the body for proper healing. Because the spinal discs do not receive a lot of blood, they tend to be very difficult to heal, and usually develop into chronic conditions that create long term pain for the person suffering with it.

So, why are we discussing this? Well, because the discs of the spine do not receive a very good blood supply, the body depends on the jelly in the center of the disc to remain healthy so the disc can have enough oxygen and nutrients for healing.

This is where we can begin to discuss cervical disc disease in more detail, because what actually happens with this condition is that the jelly in the center of the disc will start to dehydrate. When the jelly begins to lose water, there is less jelly in the center of the disc, and the disc will begin to flatten, or become shorter.

This is a very serious problem for the spine, because these discs are absorbing shock, so if they start to lose their height, they are not as effective at this job. So, the brain will begin to perceive that there is a problem developing in the disc where this is occurring, and what it will do is start to add extra calcium to the edges of the bone above and below the involved disc.

The reason this occurs is because the brain is trying to stabilize this unstable condition, and the way it does that is be eventually fusing these bones together. So, the brain will cause the bones to develop “spurs,” which are just bony extensions coming off the edges of the bones. These spurs will eventually come together and fuse the bones above and below the degenerating disc to provide some stability.

Although this process makes sense to the brain, if you actually get to a point where these bones fuse, your spine will actually begin to deteriorate much more quickly because the other joints of the spine above and below this fusion have to work extra hard to make up for the lack of movement in the problem area.

The cause of cervical disc disease is most often some form of trauma. You have to realize that it takes many years for this condition to develop, so typically what happens is that you have an injury to your neck earlier in life (whether it be from a car accident, a sports injury, a fall, etc.), which causes the disc in the injured area to start the degenerative process.

This condition can also be caused by poor health habits, which leads to toxins building up in the body. For example, we know that smokers are more likely to develop cervical disc disease (and other deteriorating conditions of the spine) because of the levels of toxins in their bodies.

There is also a genetic component with this disease - if you have a family history of arthritis of any kind in your family, you are more likely to develop this problem because cervical disc disease is simply a special type of arthritis that develops in the spine.

The symptoms that are most commonly associated with cervical disc disease are neck pain and stiffness, shoulder, arm and hand pain (which can be experienced as sharp pain, burning, pins and needles, or even numbness), weakness in the arms or hands, headaches, chest pains, fatigue, blurred vision, ringing in the ears, among other symptoms.

What’s interesting about this condition (and any condition related to the spine) is how the pain can travel away from the problem area (in this case, the neck). The reason this happens is because the spinal nerves are exiting the spine right behind the spinal discs. These nerves control everything in the body, and if a disc starts to flatten, it will apply pressure on the nerve directly behind it.

When this occurs, whatever the nerve controls will begin to malfunction, because the spinal nerves are very sensitive to this type of pressure.

So, the ultimate question is, what can you do about this? Well, most doctors will recommend medications (usually anti-inflammatory medications, muscle relaxers, and pain relievers), physical therapy, pain injections (such as cortisone or epidurals), and surgery (as a last resort).

Unfortunately, many of these treatments only provide temporary relief, at best. One of the things I’ve learned after working with thousands of patients suffering with this condition is that it usually requires a combination of treatments to provide the best results, and most doctors are not aware of this.

Any problem in your neck is potentially serious because it connects your head to your body, and the structures within it are necessary for life. Cervical stenosis occurs when the spinal cord or spinal nerves are compressed due to narrowing in the seven vertebrae in your neck.

When we use the term, “cervical stenosis,” we are usually talking about degenerative changes that cause narrowing, such as arthritis. Cervical spinal injuries can cause cervical stenosis, too, and may be much more serious. A herniated disc or cervical fracture that damages the spinal cord or a spinal nerve root can be life-threatening.

Symptoms

The symptoms associated with cervical stenosis depend on whether the spinal cord or spinal nerve is being compressed. If it’s spinal nerves, symptoms will be limited to the neck, shoulders and arms. Symptoms include neck, shoulder or arm pain, numbness, heaviness or tingling, arm weakness or difficulty grasping objects.

If the spinal cord is compressed, you can also have muscle spasms and pain in your legs, loss of coordination and be unsteady when you walk.

Treatment

Early cervical stenosis can be treated with anti-inflammatory medications and pain medications. If the pain is severe or if there are functional problems (arm weakness, difficulty walking, etc), surgery is usually necessary. Both minimally invasive and open surgical techniques are used to treat cervical stenosis, and either an anterior (through the front) or posterior (through the back) approach may be needed.

Discectomy—the disc between vertebrae is removed, along with any bone spurs, to relieve nerve pressure. The disc may be replaced with a bone graft or an artificial disc. Cervical discectomy usually requires an anterior approach.

Corpectomy—the body of the vertebra and the intervetebral discs are removed, enlarging the spinal canal. The vertebrae are usually fused together with a bone graft or hardware; an anterior approach is used.

Laminectomy, laminotomy, laminoplasty—the lamina is the bone at the back of the vertebra. It’s removed in a laminectomy, partially removed to make a larger opening for the nerve in a laminotomy or repaired in a laminoplasty. Laminal surgery is done from the back. Laminotomy and laminoplasty can sometimes be done with an endoscope.

Facetectomy—removal of the facet joint between two vertebrae to enlarge the opening.

Surgery usually improves the symptoms of cervical stenosis, but doesn’t always resolve them. By the time cervical stenosis is severe enough to warrant treatment, there may be some permanent nerve damage. In addition, symptoms can reappear as aging and degeneration continue.