i have cervical spinal cord compression

Cervical spine compression can cause symptoms from the neck down including numbness or tingling/itching/pain etc in the extremities(hands & feet).

Is your cord compression congenital or from some type of trauma? I have had a fusion surgery, C5-C7 addressing a severe cord compression. It caused muscle atrophy from my right shoulder to my finger tips on my right hand. I can’t say for sure it caused numbness and tingling in my feet but sure affected my stride and gait.

I have stenosis of the cervical spine and will be operated on shortly. It has caused all kinds of problems like poor balance and falls, painful shoulders and numb arms in bed, and upper back pain.
Due to an earlier lumbar laminectomy numbness in the lower extremities was blamed on that area and no attention was paid to my neck. However a myelogram picked up on stenosis in the neck as well. The unsteady gait that was obvious to my family stems from my neck, according to the doctor. This caused me to fall down some stairs, snap off the quadricep tendon, and subsequent surgery and year long recovery.
My advice is that if you have stenosis anywhere, do remember that the neck may also be affected, and cause lower extremity problems which most docs would blame on the lumbar region.

Hi jbr. How was your myelogram? I have heard horror stories about that procedure.

What type of surgery will you be having on your neck? Fusion, laminoplasty?

The myelogram was easier than an MRI for me because I am claustrophobic. I used to get shots every 3 months for pain so needles don't bother me. However it was no picnic in the park either. Not sure what they are doing in the neck but I think they mentioned a plate in there. I will be wearing a neck brace for 6 weeks afterwards. Complete recovery and strength may not return for over a year.

@jbr I am a spine surgery patient and also have Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. Having your arms go numb in bed when laying down could be a sign of TOS because it causes impaired circulation with different arm and neck positions which you could be doing as you lie in bed. For example, a military type salute arm position can cut off circulation in a patient with TOS and it isn't because of laying on the arm. I had that happen to me. If you are a side sleeper, it can be the arm on top that you are not laying on that goes numb. I know you have a lot going on that could cause overlapping symptoms. If your spine cervical issues are the result of a whiplash, it is possible that an injury like that could also have caused TOS.

Well we will see what the neck surgery solves! My overwhelming pain is in my butt and down my left leg. I call it sciatica for the lack of a better word, however it has been constant (waxing and waning) since my lumbar laminectomy in 2015.

I had a spinal cord compression at C1. I don't know how I got it but I know what my symptoms were/are. I had a decompression and fusion C1-3 May 2022. I had been telling my primary care physician that I felt like I had gloves and socks on all the time for at least a year, and I began dropping things all the time. I was having an increase in migraine headaches. So she decided to do an MRI which found my compressed cord. My neurosurgeon said it could be up to 2 years before I see all the progress I've made I'm over the hump(May 5, 2023)! I still have numbness and use walking sticks, I tend to walk a little to the left at times. It took a while r
to get used to the stops in my neck with the fusion. First, you learn you are to bend only from the waist, then to turn your whole body to talk to someone. At least those were the rules I was given. Incidentally. I also have
C5-6,6-7 years ago. I hope your experience.

Sorry I stopped midthought. I hope your surgical time goes by quickly, at least as quickly any neurosurgical, or thing around the spinal cord and bones can. I learned to take one day at a time and be happy with a little progress. Of course, it could have been as early as the evening of the surgery or the next morning that I began to notice the numbness and tingling go away. Everybody is different, I'm glad I heard that before my surgery.

Does anyone know which testing modality the doctors at Mayo prefer when treating cervical stenosis? A CT myelogram or an MRI?

I prefer an MRI as I don't want the radiation exposure. Anyone have experience with Mayo regarding this issue? Thanks.