Overview
The spinal cord is a vital bridge between the brain and the rest of the body as it relays impulses from the brain to the rest of the body and vice versa. The spinal cord is protected by the backbone, muscles and surrounded by cerebrospinal fluid. Both intrinsic and extrinsic diseases of the surrounding meninges and bones can affect the spinal cord and its roots. The clinical presentation varies according to the level at which the cord or roots are affected. From the clinical presentation and physical examination, a rough idea about which level of the spinal cord involved can be deduced. In order to know the exact pathological causes, further investigations are needed. Some of the examples of disorders of the spinal cord are cervical spondylosis such as cervical radiculopathy or myelopathy, lumbar spondylosis such as lumbar disc herniation or lumbar canal stenosis, spinal cord compression and many more intrinsic diseases of the spinal cord such as transverse myelitis, syringomyelia and many more. Important investigations are MRI, X-ray of spine, serum vitamin B12 and cerebrospinal fluid assessment.
