Spine Cord Disorders

Spinal cord disorders are conditions that cause damage and deterioration to the spinal cord. These conditions may include:

• Tumors
• Spinal stenosis
• Herniated discs
• Abscess
• Hematoma
• Vertebral fractures
• Degenerative disc disease

The spinal cord is a tubelike structure that consists of a bundle of nerves that extends from the base of the brain and down the back. The spinal cord carries messages from the brain to the rest of the body. The spinal cord is located within the vertebrae (the backbone). The spinal cord is divided into four areas, any of which can be affected by spinal cord disorders. These areas include:

• Cervical (neck)
• Lumbar (upper back region)
• Thoracic (lower back region)
• Sacral (pelvis)

Spinal nerves connect to specific areas of the body through spaces in the vertebrae. Spinal nerves have two nerve roots:

• Motor Root:Carries signals from the spinal cord to the muscles to stimulate movement.
• Sensory Root: Carries sensory information that relays sensations such as touch, pain, and temperature from the body to the spinal cord.

The sensory roots relay messages to different areas of the skin’s surface, called dermatomes. The loss of sensation in any particular dermatome can indicate a spinal cord disorder and allows doctors to locate the specific area where the spinal cord may be damaged.