Sometimes a herniated disc might be so severe as to pinch the spinal cord itself, not just the nerves coming out of the spinal cord. Sometimes the spinal cord can also be pinched in a person that has cervical spinal stenosis.
SYMPTOMS OF CERVICAL SPINAL CORD COMPRESSION
The symptoms of cervical spinal cord compression can include weakness in the arms or legs, loss of balance, increased reflexes and sometimes involuntary muscle spasms in the arms or legs. This called cervical myelopathy.
DIAGNOSIS OF CERVICAL MYELOPATHY
Your neurosurgeon usually performs a history and physical examination to see if you have some of the signs of cervical myelopathy. Tests that can be ordered to show if you have a pinched spinal cord include MRI of the cervical spine or CT/Myelogram of the cervical spine.
TREATMENT OF CERVICAL SPINAL CORD COMPRESSION
Surgery is usually performed for cervical myelopathy. Depending on what is causing the pinching of the spinal cord, the surgery for it can include anterior cervical discectomy and fusion or Cervical decompressive laminectomy with fusion or without fusion depending on what condition the spine is in.