Decompression & Cervical Spinal Stenosis

Introduction

The neck can make sure that the head doesn’t flop around by letting the muscles, ligaments, and the spine hold the head upright. The neck is responsible for twisting and turning the head in all directions without the feeling of discomfort. However, the neck also has soft tissues, and nerve roots spread out from the cervical area of the spine that helps control the shoulders, arms, and hands. When a person suffers from a neck injury, it can cause unwanted pain and discomfort to the neck muscles and disrupt the motor functions in the upper body. Luckily, some treatments help alleviate the pain and restore motor function to the neck. Today’s article post will examine how cervical stenosis affects the neck and the cervical spine and how traction therapy can help alleviate cervical stenosis for many suffering individuals. Patients are referred to qualified, skilled providers who specialize in spinal decompression therapy. We go hand in hand with our patients by referring them to our associated medical providers based on their examination when it’s appropriate. We find that education is valuable for asking crucial questions to our providers. Dr. Jimenez DC provides this information as an educational service only. Disclaimer

 

Can my insurance cover it? Yes, it may. If you are uncertain, here is the link to all the insurance providers we cover. If you have any questions or concerns, please call Dr. Jimenez at 915-850-0900.

How Does Cervical Stenosis Affect The Neck?

 

Has your neck been feeling stiff lately? Do you suffer from any pain in your neck after stretching from side to side? How about feeling discomfort after being hunched over for an extended period? All these issues are due to neck pain, and if a traumatic event or injury affects the neck even more, it can lead to the development of cervical stenosis. Like the lower back, the neck can also be injured as the soft tissues, and nerve roots spread out from the cervical area are compressed and aggravated. Research studies have found that cervical stenosis develops when the spinal column in the cervical spine becomes narrow due to either degenerative spinal changes or traumatic incidents. When the spinal canal becomes more limited, it can cause unwanted neck issues like cervical herniation and neck pain. If the nerve roots are aggravated due to being compressed, it can disrupt the sensory-motor function of the shoulders and arms, and hands. Additional information has shown that the symptoms of cervical stenosis symptoms develop gradually over time as there is no pain in the early stages. However, as cervical stenosis begins to progress in compressing the spinal canal and provoking the nerve roots, motor functions in the hands will start to lose their function in writing or grasping items. This can become a problem for many individuals if cervical stenosis is not treated immediately.

 

What Other Causes Does It Do To The Cervical Spine?

Since cervical stenosis progresses gradually without any pain symptoms in the early stages and becomes worse in the advanced settings, other causes can start affecting the neck and cervical spine. One of them is cervical myelopathy. Research studies have shown that it is a condition where the spinal cord becomes compressed and causes a disturbance in the upper extremity portions. When the upper part of the body begins to feel sharp electric sensations radiating from the neck down to the hands, it can cause muscle weakness and numbness in each section of the upper body. Other causes like natural degenerative issues can also result from cervical stenosis occurring in the cervical spine. Other research studies have shown that degenerative causes associated with cervical stenosis can activate pro-inflammatory factors in the spinal joints and cause excruciating swelling and pain-like symptoms along the spine. However, there are treatments to help reduce the pro-inflammatory markers and alleviate spinal cord compression along the cervical spine.

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Traction Therapy For Cervical Stenosis-Video

Do you have neck pain? Do your shoulders feel tight and tense? Have you lost the sensation in your hands? Traction therapy alleviates spinal stenosis in the cervical area and has given many beneficial factors for people who need neck pain relief. Experiencing cervical stenosis can dampen a person’s day and progressively worsen if it is not treated right away; traction therapy can help alleviate cervical stenosis. The video above shows how traction therapy works using the cervical mechanics from the Chatanooga decompression table. Cervical traction helps loosen up the tight muscle tissues and resets the cervical spine by setting it back in its proper alignment. This allows the spinal cord and nerve roots to feel relief from the pressure they’ve been under. Cervical traction also helps rehydrate the dry spinal discs with the nutrients beneficial to the body. This link will explain what traction has to offer and the impressive results for many individuals who suffer from cervical spinal stenosis or other issues that occur in the neck.

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Traction Therapy To Alleviate Cervical Stenosis

 

Many treatments associated with neck pain do have beneficial results when people are trying to relieve the pain. Some people use ice/hot packs to ease tense neck muscles, while others take over-the-counter medicine to stop the pain for the remainder of the day. Traction therapy is one treatment that seems to alleviate the pain and help restore the cervical spine. Research studies have mentioned that cervical traction is a non-surgical procedure that uses a tension pull on the cervical spine to increase the height of the spinal disc and take the pressure off the spinal cord and surrounding nerve roots. Traction on the cervical spine helps relax the neck muscles while also providing much-needed relief to the cervical spine. Additional research mentioned the beneficial properties that cervical traction offers to help separate the vertebral bodies while providing movement on the facet joints and gently stretching the soft tissues. 

 

Conclusion

The neck makes sure that the head stays upright and can make everyday motions without feeling pain or discomfort. When traumatic events or injuries affect the sensory-motor functions of the neck, it can narrow the spinal canal in the cervical spine and cause many unwanted symptoms like cervical stenosis. Cervical stenosis can develop over time and can progressively become worse if it is not treated right away. Some of the symptoms can induce muscle weakness, numbness, and pain along the neck, shoulders, arms, and hands in the body’s upper portion. Traction therapy for the cervical spine can help ease the painful symptoms by taking the pressure off the spinal canal and help reset the spine back in alignment. Incorporating cervical traction for neck pain can help many suffering individuals become pain-free on their health and wellness journey.

 

References

Abi-Aad, Karl R, and Armen Derian. “Cervical Traction – Statpearls – NCBI Bookshelf.” In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL), StatPearls Publishing, 1 May 2022, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470412/.

Bjerke, Benjamin. “Cervical Stenosis with Myelopathy.” Spine, Spine-Health, 10 July 2017, www.spine-health.com/conditions/spinal-stenosis/cervical-stenosis-myelopathy.

Burns, Stephen P, et al. “Cervical Stenosis in Spinal Cord Injury and Disorders.” The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, Taylor & Francis, July 2016, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5102300/.

Donnally III, Chester J, et al. “Cervical Myelopathy.” In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL), StatPearls Publishing, 6 Mar. 2022, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482312/.

Meyer, Frerk, et al. “Degenerative Cervical Spinal Stenosis: Current Strategies in Diagnosis and Treatment.” Deutsches Arzteblatt International, Deutscher Arzte Verlag, May 2008, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2696878/.

Rulleau, Thomas, et al. “Effect of an Intensive Cervical Traction Protocol on Mid-Term Disability and Pain in Patients with Cervical Radiculopathy: An Exploratory, Prospective, Observational Pilot Study.” PloS One, Public Library of Science, 11 Aug. 2021, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8357129/.

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