Myelitis
Myelitis is another name for spinal cord inflammation, although it is often used to describe cord damage which is NOT caused by trauma or violence. There are many other reasons for
spinal cord
damage to occur, such as
spinal degeneration,
disease and congenital conditions.
Myelopathy
can affect the cervical spinal cord, the thoracic cord or the lumbar/sacral cord and
nerve roots.
What is Myelitis?
The condition is characterized by inflammation the spinal cord structures, which are responsible for carrying neurological signals to and from the brain. These structures, called myelinated fiber tracts or white matter, are instrumental in proper spinal cord function. Additionally, sometimes, spinal gray matter is also affected; causing neuron-related concerns and associated nerve signal loss. Spinal cord inflammation comes in a wide spectrum of severities and can create effects ranging from barely noticeable to complete and utter
paralysis.
Causes of Spinal Cord Inflamation
Spinal cord inflammation can be the direct or indirect result of a great number of possible causations:* Extreme
spinal stenosis
can compress and damage the cord or cauda equina nerve roots.
* Spinal cord injury
from any violent trauma can create acute cord damage. * Anatomical
ischemia
due to arterial disease, embolism or aneurysm can cause the cord to suffer dysfunction and inflammation.
* Spinal tumor
formation (cancer or non-cancerous growths) can cause inflammation of the spinal cord. * Congenital condition, such as severe
spina bifida,
can cause cord dysfunction and injury. * A variety of disease processes can also attack the spinal cord and cause dreaded injury which may be permanent. Obviously, treatment for any form of spinal cord damage should be handled by a specialist. Patients affected by inflammatory spinal cord issues must be very vigilant with their preventative healthcare requirements in order to remain healthy. Treatment for spinal cord damage is limited in many instances, since permanent neurological function is often lost once the spinal structures have been altered.
Myelitis Advice
Achieving an accurate and complete diagnosis, along with a prognosis for the future, is especially vital for every person affected with a spinal cord injury. Understanding the exact nature of and reasons for the symptoms is the first and most logical step in finding potential resolution or at least preventing additional damage to the spinal cord. Generally, the higher the level of spinal cord damage, the greater the effects on the patient will be. Cervical myelitic conditions will affect all functions from the neck down, while lumbar cord syndromes will only affect the lower body region. For patients with
complete spinal cord injury
or high level and severe
incomplete cord injuries,
there are sure to be significant functional restrictions. However, with modern technology on your side, there is always hope for living a rewarding life while medical science continues its quest for curing cord related trauma. Let’s all hope that
stem cell research
gets some much needed support and receives the green light for more widespread study and testing…
Myelitis to Back Pain
8/5/09 Revised 12/2/11
|
