What causes narrowing of neck bones
The backbone is a vital part of the body. It shields your spinal cord and nerves which gives signals to direct function and movement in your body.
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When the spaces in the backbone become narrow, there is pressure on the spinal cord and this directly affects the signals that move parts of the body.
There are openings in the backbone which can also get damaged and place more pressure on the nerves.
The back bones become narrow in two areas – the neck or lower back regions. This is because these two regions easily bend more and are more flexible than the upper back region.
This continual movement in the presence of a narrowing causes the nerves in the back to be compressed. The upper back region usually provides stability and support and is not mostly affected by narrowing of the bones.
Cervical Spine Stenosis occurs over a prolonged period of time and may be dependent on how well you take care of your back with symptoms appearing later in life.
How Does Your Back work?
It’s important to understand the work your backbone does. Your backbone is made up of many small bones called vertebrae.
These small bones are separated by cushions which operate as shock absorbers and prevent the bones from rubbing together.
Your back bones also provide support and stability for the attachment of other bones and muscles in the body.
The Neck bones
This comprises of seven small bones which has more flexibility than the upper and lower backbones.
The narrowing may occur as a result of many reasons, one of which is the natural ageing process. The individual may experience pain, numbness or weakness in the legs, back, neck, or arms.
Symptoms/Signs
The condition affects middle-aged or elderly people and may or may not result in symptoms. The narrowing of the neck bones create pressure on nearby nerves and results in pain and discomfort.
This narrowing is a slow process occurring over a prolonged period of time. When the narrowing affects the nerves, the symptoms differ according to the nerve affected and the aspect of the body the nerve supplies. Symptoms may vary from mild to severe.
Individuals with this condition may feel a shooting pain whenever they bend their neck forwards or bring their chin towards their chest.
The condition may also cause weakness, numbness and burning sensations in the upper limbs or arms.
The individual may also have difficulty walking or have challenges with balance. In severe cases, there may be loss of bowel and bladder control.
Causes
As you age, changes occur in the backbone, including narrowing of the bones which may cause pain.
The normal spaces in the backbones get smaller and compress nerves going out of them. The tough cords which surround the backbone may also get damaged and extra bone formation may begin to form on the backbone.
The narrowing may also affect the spinal cord. The rate of damage differs from one individual to another as the symptoms.
The causes may also include a shift in the small cushions in-between the bones or a deterioration and misalignment of the cushion along the spine.
Other causes may include an injury or illness to the backbone.
Diagnosis
Before a diagnosis of this condition is made, a comprehensive history and examination is performed.
A physical examination also assists in establishing the severity of the condition.
Your symptoms would also provide information on the condition for example the presence or absence of numbness and/ or weakness.
When there are unusual sensations or loss of strength, it also may imply that the nerves may be involved.
Further investigations may include test such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), X-rays or Computerised Tomography (CT) to confirm diagnosis.
Usually, an MRI is performed over an X-ray. The MRI provides information whether there is narrowing the backbone and exactly where it’s occurring.
It also shows the degree of compression of the nerves in the backbone, as well as the particular nerves involved.