Myelopathy is a broad term used to describe disease of the spinal cord. One cause of myelopathy is compression from degenerative (wear and tear) changes in the neck (degenerative compressive myelopathy) and thoracic spine. It is extremely important to detect myelopathy in its early stage in order to consider intervention to halt progression of the condition.

Some common symptoms of myelopathy include difficulty walking, pins and needles in the arms, deterioration the function of the hands, problems with bladder and bowels and pain in the neck/back.

You may need an MRI scan depending of your clinical history and examination findings.