Recently, 27-year-old Mr. Wang came to Xi'an Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Encephalopathy, he said that he has been walking staggering recently, always feeling unstable, and the soles of his feet are like stepping on cotton. I also have weak hands, often can't hold things, and there are symptoms of numbness and dizziness in my hands and feet, and I am worried that I may have a cerebral infarction, so I hurried to the hospital for examination.
After a detailed physical examination and evaluation, the doctor recommended a cervical spine x-ray to further determine the cause. So, Mr. Wang came to the medical imaging center of the hospital, and after examination, the cervical spine X-ray showed that the normal physiological curvature of Mr. Wang's cervical spine disappeared and the curvature became straight. The magnetic resonance film showed that the cervical intervertebral disc was widely herniated, the spinal cord of the same plane was severely compressed, wave-like changes, and the spinal canal was narrowed, and the final diagnosis was "cervical myelopathy".
A clear cause was identified, and Mr. Wang is now undergoing further treatment.
(Above: normal physiological curvature of the cervical spine; Bottom: straightening of cervical curvature)
(Above: normal cervical spinal canal width, no compression deformation of the spinal cord; Bottom: severe spinal cord compression, wavy changes, spinal stenosis)
Ren Xiaojun, director of the Medical Imaging Center, introduced: "Cervical myelopathy is a cervical spondylosis caused by cervical spinal cord compression caused by cervical disc herniation, ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament, hypertrophy of the ligamentum flavum and vertebral bone hyperplasia, resulting in spinal cord ischemia and impaired cervical spinal cord function. ”
Ren Xiaojun said that the most common symptoms of cervical myelopathy are numbness in the limbs (which may only occur in one or both upper or lower limbs), weakness in the lower limbs, weakness in the legs, unsteady pace, feeling of stepping on cotton, difficulty in walking, weakness and inflexibility of the hands, and it is difficult for patients to complete fine movements such as writing and holding chopsticks. In severe cases, you may need crutches or the help of others to walk, until you are finally paralyzed and unable to take care of yourself. Some patients will have paresthesias in the trunk, that is, the "band feeling" in the chest, abdomen or hands, as well as the burning sensation, cold sensation, ant walking sensation in the trunk or lower limbs, and may have frequent urination or difficulty urinating and defecating in the later stage. Surgery is the treatment of choice, and conservative management requires regular check-ups and surgery if the disease worsens.
Finally, Ren Xiaojun reminded everyone that in daily life, it is particularly important to protect the cervical spine, and it is recommended that you do the following three points: first, use a comfortable low pillow, if the pillow is too high, the cervical spine will always be in a tense state of forward bending, and the curvature of the cervical spine will change over time, and the intervertebral disc pressure will be degenerated. Second, try not to keep your head down for a long time, you can look up at the ceiling during the break, reduce the pressure of the cervical spine, and prevent shoulder and neck muscle fatigue. Third, under the guidance of a professional rehabilitation physician, do some cervical spine exercises appropriately to enhance the strength of the neck muscles and stay away from cervical spine problems.
Chinese business all-media reporter Chen Mengyang correspondent Zhao Yingsi