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Spinal cord diseases can cause problems with muscle movement, vision, speech, and paralysis. They can be caused by injuries, genetic conditions, neurological and demyelinating disorders, and cancer. Treatment includes medications, physical therapy, braces, and surgery. Demyelinating disorders like multiple sclerosis and transverse myelitis can cause numbness, muscle weakness, fatigue, and chronic headaches. Cancer can produce tumors on the spine, causing severe spinal cord disease. Early recognition and treatment can be helpful in removing tumors and stopping cancer from spreading.
The spinal cord is essential for transmitting chemical impulses to and from the brain, controlling reflexes, and sensing pain. Individuals diagnosed with spinal cord disease often have significant problems controlling muscle movement, vision, and speech, and some patients experience partial or complete paralysis. Most cases of spinal cord disease are directly related to spinal injuries, although symptoms can also develop due to genetically inherited conditions. Spinal cord problems can result from neurological and demyelinating disorders such as multiple sclerosis, transverse myelitis, and cancer. Most injuries and diseases affecting the spinal cord are debilitating to some degree and often incurable, although many people are able to maintain a fulfilling lifestyle with the help of prescribed medications and physical therapy.
When the vertebrae or nerves in the spinal cord are damaged, individuals may experience intense pain, muscle spasms, and decreased muscle movement. Severe cases of spinal cord injury can result in the loss of the ability to sense pain and temperature. Some individuals with severed nerves experience paralysis, where they are unable to move, speak, or control bodily functions. People with injury-related spinal cord disease are often given oral medications to reduce pain and inflammation, braces to straighten the spine, and surgical procedures to remove or repair damaged bone tissue. Some patients are able to regain movement with intensive physical therapy and ongoing medical care.
Proper neural functioning depends on the body’s ability to protect nerve fibers by surrounding them with a type of fatty tissue known as myelin. Many types of spinal cord disease can inflame or deteriorate the myelin sheaths, exposing nerves and disrupting their ability to function properly. Two of the most common types of demyelinating disorders are multiple sclerosis and transverse myelitis, conditions that result from genetic mutations and the presence of certain autoimmune diseases. Many people with multiple sclerosis or transverse myelitis experience numbness, muscle weakness, fatigue, and chronic headaches. These diseases can become debilitating and often fatal if not managed adequately with prescribed physical therapy and medications.
Symptoms of multiple sclerosis and transverse myelitis can be identical to those experienced by individuals with more serious conditions, such as cancer. Some cancers can produce tumors on the spine and deteriorate the myelin sheaths, causing a severe form of spinal cord disease. Licensed orthopedists, neurologists, and oncologists can screen for cancerous growths using MRI and ultrasound machines. When problems are recognized at the first sign of symptoms, surgery and medications often prove helpful in removing the tumors and stopping the cancer from spreading to other parts of the body.
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