Spinal Disorders

Symptoms

Pinpoint your pain.

Because of the way that the spinal cord functions and is organized, damage to the cord often produces specific patterns of symptoms based on where the damage occurred. The following may occur:

• Weakness
• Numbness or tingling
• Changes in reflexes
• Loss of bladder control
• Loss of bowel control
• Paralysis
• Back pain

Diagnosis

Get the answers you need.

Often, orthopaedic doctors can recognize a spinal cord disorder based on its characteristic pattern of symptoms. Doctors always do a physical examination, which provides clues to the diagnosis and, if the spinal cord is damaged, helps doctors determine where the damage is located. An imaging test is usually then done to confirm the diagnosis and determine the cause. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the most accurate imaging test for spinal cord disorders. MRI shows the spinal cord, as well as abnormalities in the soft tissues around the cord (such as abscesses, hematomas, tumors, and ruptured disks) and in bone (such as tumors, fractures, and cervical spondylosis). If MRI is not available or cannot be done, myelography with computed tomography (CT) is used.

Treatment

Life’s too short to put up with pain.

With a team of experts behind them, our patients benefit from the expertise of a variety of specialists at Kayal Orthopaedic Center. Common spinal treatments include physical therapy and minimally invasive surgery, depending on the type and severity of the spinal disorder, with the overall goals of treatment being pain relief and restoration of functional capacity. Our board-certified New Jersey orthopaedists treat the following spinal disorders:

• Bulging discs
• Degenerative discs
• Fractures
• Herniated discs
• Lower back pain
• Neck injuries
• Osteoporosis
• Pinched nerves
• Radiculopathy
• Sciatica
• Scoliosis
• Spinal stenosis