Before we begin, let’s understand what is the spinal cord? The spinal cord is a central canal in the vertebral column. It hangs among the vertebrae and carries nerve fibers. These nerves transmit signals from the brain to different parts of your body.
These signals help you control your movement, feel things around you and keep different organs working normally.
It also has an insulating layer called the myelin sheath. This sheath protects it from injury or trauma caused by inflammation of surrounding tissues.
A condition in which this protective covering starts to wear off can lead to more damage to these nerves. This results in partial or complete paralysis even if there was no initial injury present at all!
Another important thing that you should know is that the signals from the brain travel through these nerves and reach to different parts of your body like hands, legs, etc.
What is nerve root compression in spinal cord?
So what if something happens between this space. Where does the nerve suppose to be and then it stops working? The affected part stops functioning as well.
The most common cause for such a condition is compression of spinal nerve roots due to bulging discs, spurs owing to osteoarthritis, or bone spur caused by rheumatoid arthritis among other things.
In simple terms, nerve root compression occurs when one or more of these spinal nerves traps because of a bulging disc. The brain cannot send the right commands to that area and hence it stops functioning as well.
The following picture shows how the spinal cord works and the importance of its protection:
A non-technical version for understanding better:
Now we will discuss all these points in detail – so keep reading!
Herniated Discs & Central Canal Stenosis In Spinal Cord
A bulging or herniated disc can hamper the movement of spinal nerves. Nerves transmit signals from the brain to different parts of the body. These are mostly present in the neck and lower back, though they could be anywhere in the spine.
These bulged or protruding discs are “visible” when normal disc compresses and damages. This mainly occurs because of aging and weak spine muscles as we grow older. It can also result from trauma to your back, lifting heavy weights, accidents, etc.
What are the causes of spinal nerve compression?
Spinal nerve root compression can happen due to a variety of reasons. Here are the most common causes-
Bulging Discs –
A bulged or herniated disc is probably the most common cause of this condition. When these discs become weak and damaged. These may bulge out of place and end up pressing on a nearby nerve root in your spine.
Spurs/Bone spurs –
Osteoarthritis of the spine (more commonly known as ‘degenerative joint disease’) develops when the cartilage around joints wears away over time. It allows bones to rub together which results in bone spurs forming along with these irritated areas of the joint surface.
The irritation leads to inflammation and further destruction of cartilage within a joint. This is especially common in knees which are the most affected joints in osteoarthritis.
Osteophytes (bone spurs) can also be the result due to rheumatoid arthritis, trauma, or according to many experts – even those associated with aging! These bone formations can bunch up and press on nerves that supply your legs, resulting in pain, weakness, or numbness due to nerve compression.
Risk Factors: Responsible for nerve compression
Unfortunately, we don’t have a certain reason as to why only some people develop nerve root compression while the rest may not encounter any problem at all throughout their lives. Certain factors might increase your risk of getting this condition. Age – As you grow older, disc degeneration becomes more common and commonly affects those between 40-60 years old. Injury – Spinal nerve compression can also cause trauma to the spine. Obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, and smoking are some other factors that may increase your chances of developing this condition.
What are the symptoms of spinal nerve compression?
The main symptom is pain in a particular area or limb, usually worse when you do certain movements like lifting heavy objects, exercise, etc. Some people might not show any signs or symptoms even though their nerves compress. Due to disc bulging/spurs formation as it is very common for disc protrusion to happen without showing any warning signs!
Following are the most commonly experienced symptoms-
Pain or discomfort – It usually presents itself as a dull ache within muscles, soreness or a throbbing sensation.
Loss of function – Usually in the form of weakness, numbness, or decreased reflexes. You might start feeling muscle weakness in your legs and feet while walking which could cause minor injury to these areas without you realizing it!
Know in detail the symptoms of spinal disc problems.
How is Spinal Nerve Compression diagnosed?
A physical examination from a specialist would be the first step towards detecting this condition. Your physician may ask you about your medical history, family history and examine various parts of your body. He will then perform some tests on you like muscle strength tests, sensory examinations, etc to get an exact idea regarding the presence of nerve root impingement/compression.
Medical History : The first thing that comes up when discussing symptoms with your physician would be to find out when did you start experiencing pain and what were the initial symptoms etc. Your doctor will also ask about your medical history and family history as disc diseases tend to run in families.
Know what does an MRI of the spine tells – know more!
How does stroke result in back pain?
Back pain resulting from stroke occurs when there is an obstruction in blood supply to a part of the spinal cord. This can lead to swelling and damage around that region. If a branch of the artery effects, the affected part of the spinal cord may deprive of oxygen.
For example: If a clot blocks the blood supply to the lower limbs or pelvic area, it will cause pain in your leg or hip along with swelling.
Nerve root compression vs cervical spondylosis
Spinal nerve root compression and cervical spondylosis are two different conditions but symptoms can be similar. The key difference between the two is that they do not result from faulty movement or pressure on nerves caused by arthritis. The muscles and joints around these sensitive nerves remain unaffected by this condition. Numbness in legs due to nerve impingement might also result in improper posture as you try to accommodate this alteration.
Causes of nerve compression
Spinal cord injuries can occur in two ways:
Direct Nerve Compression
When you accidentally get hit by a passing car or fall down the stairs. And directly hit your spine causing damage to the vertebrae and nerves. These are open wounds and are easy to detect on physical examination. It is quite common for patients with fractures, who have received external trauma to complain about chest pain. This is because the ribs may be punctured resulting in internal bleeding which causes discomfort. If such a case goes undiagnosed, it could lead to conditions like pneumonia later leading to death!
Indirect Nerve Compression
Not all cases of spinal cord injury involve tangible mechanical pressure on the body parts affected. Just as equally harmful are certain conditions like heart disease or diabetes. These can cause blood vessels to narrow and restrict blood supply – eventually leading to nerve damage.
Now, we said earlier that spinal cord injuries may not be due to physical injury. In such cases, the symptoms are usually either constant pain in the body parts (arms, legs) affected. This may last for a few minutes/hours and then go away only to return again later on. This description falls under neuropathic pain caused by loss of sensation in the affected area.
So how do these factors cause pains?
Usually, when you bend forward or try to lift something heavy with your neck bent down for. Say, a minute or so, you may feel pain in your neck. This is because these are the areas where there is increased pressure on the nerves leading to compression.
When you are involved in any extremely strenuous activity throughout your day such as weightlifting without warming up, the muscles can end up fatigued causing them to get damaged and lead to inflammation. In fact, studies have shown that rounds of golf played by older people usually reported lower back pain which could be due to repetitive bending down for picking up balls! So if you are having pains around spinal area (neck/back), seek medical help before it gets worse!
Although most back problems do not need surgery to fix them, cases requiring invasive interventions like that of spinal cord injury need to be handled with care. This is because bleeding and swelling can occur inside the spinal cord leading to additional complications or blood loss! The patient needs to be managed by a team comprising of neurosurgeons, neurologists, etc who monitor their conditions constantly while taking care of everything related to it.
Do you always need surgery for nerve compression?
No! While surgery is common, it can be unnecessary for some people. Even if there is a clear history of nerve root compression in the past (or present), you may do just as well with physical therapy.
Surgery might be the solution for your back pain, but not always.
There is no such commandment, that you cannot get rid of the problem without surgery.
And while back decompression surgery can be helpful for certain conditions, not all symptoms originating from spinal stenosis need this type of treatment.
Back pain also tends to improve on its own over time, even without treatment. Many people astonished by this—but it’s true! So what should you do? Ask your doctor these questions: “What will happen without this operation?” and “What kind of treatments are available that can help control my pain?”
What is Ayurvedic treatment for nerve compression?
Ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of natural healing, offers effective treatment for nerve root compression. According to Ayurvedic philosophy, a healthy lifestyle and diet enable your body to maintain its own internal balance (called “doshas”). A delicate balance of doshas helps prevent symptoms like pain and inflammation from developing in the first place.
How is Ayurvedic medicine used as a treatment for nerve root compression?
The goal of this approach isn’t just to mask symptoms with medications or other treatments. Instead, it improves your overall health so that you can recover more strongly—perhaps without surgery!
Reviving your overall health often requires changes in lifestyle. These might include dietary adjustments, exercises, acupuncture or yoga, and other therapies. Sometimes Ayurvedic medicines are also used to support your body’s natural healing processes.
To make believe- Study the case study of a patient treated without surgery through Ayurvedic treatment.
What kinds of treatments are used in Ayurveda for nerve compression?
Some treatments listed above may be considered Ayurvedic. Examples include yoga, panchakarma, exercises, spinal manipulation (spinal mobilization), massage therapy/bodywork for pain relief or stress reduction, etc. Each case is different, so the best treatment depends on your symptoms and overall health.