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If the spinal cord is compressed in the neck it can cause symptoms known as cervical myelopathy. This includes a loss of balance, pain, weakness, numbness or pins and needles in the arms or legs, and if very severe, a loss of bladder or bowel control.
Severe compression of the spinal cord causing nerve cell death as seen on an MRI scan is called myelomalacia and requires urgent spinal surgical opinion.
Surgical management of spinal cord compression includes recreating the space for the spinal cord (decompression) and possibly stabilising the spine to recreate better spinal alignment (fusion).
