Spinal Cord Symptoms and Risk Factors

Identify the warning signs of spinal cord disorders and injury. Learn about meningitis of the spinal cord, risk factors, and common causes of spinal dysfunction.

Symptoms and Risk Factors

What Are the Symptoms of Spinal Cord Disorders?

Symptoms of spinal cord disorders vary greatly depending on where the damage has occurred. The higher the injury or disorder is located on the spinal column, the more of the body is affected. Disorders can lead to a loss of function, sensation, or autonomic control. It is vital to recognize these signs early to prevent permanent damage.

Common symptoms include:

• Weakness or paralysis in the limbs
• Loss of sensation or numbness in hands and feet
• Loss of bladder or bowel control
• Changes in reflexes or exaggerated spasms
• Pain or an intense stinging sensation caused by damage to nerve fibers

What Are the Symptoms of Spinal Cord Injury?

A spinal cord injury is often a sudden and traumatic event. The symptoms are usually immediate. The severity of the injury is classified as either complete or incomplete. In a complete injury, all feeling and ability to control movement are lost below the injury. In an incomplete injury, some motor or sensory function remains.

Acute symptoms often involve:

• Extreme back pressure or pain in the neck or back
• Inability to move fingers or toes immediately after trauma
• Difficulty breathing or clearing secretions
• Loss of sensation including ability to feel heat or cold
• Twisted neck or back position

What Causes Spinal Cord Disorders?

Spinal cord disorders can be caused by a wide variety of factors. Some are traumatic, resulting from external force, while others are non traumatic, resulting from disease or degeneration. Understanding the cause is the first step in determining the correct treatment path.

Major causes include:

• Trauma such as car accidents and falls
• Compression from herniated discs or bone spurs
• Ischemia or lack of blood flow to the cord
• Inflammation from autoimmune conditions
• Congenital disorders like spina bifida

Meningitis of Spinal Cord

Meningitis is an infection and inflammation of the fluid and membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. When discussing meningitis of spinal cord, we refer to the inflammation affecting the protective layers around the cord. This condition is a medical emergency.

Symptoms and effects:

• Sudden high fever and severe headache
• Stiff neck making it difficult to lower chin to chest
• Sensitivity to light and confusion
• Can be caused by bacteria viruses or fungi
• Requires immediate hospitalization and antibiotics

Traumatic Causes of Spinal Cord

Traumatic injuries are the most common cause of spinal cord damage in younger adults. These injuries physically bruise, tear, or sever the spinal cord. The damage is often instant, although secondary swelling can make the injury worse over the following days.

Leading traumatic causes:

• Motor vehicle accidents accounting for nearly half of cases
• Falls especially in older adults
• Acts of violence such as gunshot wounds
• Sports and recreation injuries
• Diving into shallow water

Non-Traumatic Causes

Non-traumatic disorders develop over time or result from internal disease processes. These conditions can be just as debilitating as traumatic injuries but often have a slower onset. This slower progression sometimes allows for medical intervention before permanent paralysis occurs.

Common non traumatic issues:

• Tumors growing on or near the spinal cord
• Degenerative disc disease wearing down the spine
• Spinal stenosis narrowing the spinal canal
• Transverse myelitis which is an inflammation of the cord
• Vascular malformations affecting blood flow

What is Spinal Stenosis?

Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spaces within your spine, which can put pressure on the nerves that travel through the spine. It occurs most often in the lower back and the neck. This condition is generally related to wear and tear changes in the spine related to osteoarthritis.

Symptoms of stenosis:

• Pain in the neck or back
• Numbness or weakness in arms or legs
• Foot drop or slapping gait
• Pain usually worsens with standing or walking
• Relief is often found by sitting or leaning forward

What is Myelopathy?

Myelopathy describes any neurologic deficit related to the spinal cord. It is usually a result of compression of the spinal cord. When the spinal cord is compressed, it cannot transmit signals effectively. This is different from radiculopathy, which affects the nerve roots exiting the spine.

Signs of myelopathy:

• Clumsiness in hands and difficulty with fine motor tasks
• Unsteady gait and balance problems
• Hyperactive reflexes in the knees or ankles
• Urgency in urination
• Weakness in the arms and legs

Risk Factors for Spinal Cord Disorders

Certain factors increase the risk of developing spinal cord problems. While some factors like genetics cannot be changed, others are related to lifestyle and can be managed. Being aware of these risks can help in prevention.

Key risk factors:

• Age as degenerative changes increase with time
• Gender as men are more likely to suffer traumatic injury
• Engaging in high risk behaviors like diving or extreme sports
• Having a bone disorder like osteoporosis
• Obesity which puts extra stress on the spine

When Is It An Emergency?

Knowing when a spinal symptom is an emergency can save function and life. Sudden compression of the spinal cord requires immediate decompression to prevent permanent paralysis. Cauda Equina Syndrome is one such emergency affecting the bundle of nerves at the bottom of the cord.

Emergency signs:

• Sudden loss of bowel or bladder control
• Numbness in the inner thighs or saddle area
• Severe weakness in one or both legs
• Trauma to the head or neck with neurological changes
• Difficulty breathing after a fall