CNS Clinic

Scoliosis is an abnormal sideways curvature of the spine. The scoliosis that occurs in children is typically called idiopathic scoliosis because there is no known cause. Scoliosis in adults may be caused by degeneration and arthritic conditions associated with aging, known as degenerative scoliosis, or idiopathic scoliosis that has been present since childhood.

A chordoma isa type of cancer that occurs at the base of the skull or along the spinal column. Chordomas are commonly treated by neurologists and neurosurgeons because they occur in and around the bony tissues surrounding the central nervous system.
However, they are categorized as sarcomas—tumors of cartilage, bone, and other connective tissues.

Spinal cord disorders are injuries and diseases that damage the spinal cord, which carries signals between the brain and the rest of the body. Damage to the spinal cord can disrupt these signals, which can affect bodily functions and cause permanent disability.
Some spinal cord disorders originate outside the spinal cord. These include disorders caused by spinal injuries or compression of the spinal cord. The spinal cord may be compressed by bone due to a fracture or degenerative condition, a hematoma, an abscess, or a ruptured or herniated disc.
Less often, spinal cord disorders originate inside the spinal cord due to conditions such as inflammation, tumors, abscesses, autoimmune diseases, and bleeding.

A spinal cord tumor is a mass of tissue in the spinal cord made up of abnormal cells. Tumors that originate in the spinal cord itself are called primary tumors.
Tumors that invade the spine from another part of the body are called secondary, or metastatic, tumors.
Benign tumors do not infiltrate tissues of the spinal cord or surrounding structures.
Spinal cord cancerous tumors can invade surrounding tissues to varying degrees and spread to other parts of the body, making them more difficult to treat.

Spinal trauma is damage to the spinal cord caused by an injury. The spinal cord contains nerves that carry messages between the brain and the body, so damage can cause permanent changes in bodily functions.
A spinal cord injury may be caused by a traumatic blow to the spine that fractures, dislocates, crushes, or compresses one or more bones of the spine (vertebrae). It may also be the result of a penetrating injury that cuts the spinal cord, such as a gunshot wound.
Sometimes relatively minor falls or accidents can result in a significant spinal cord injury. This can happen if there is an underlying degree of weakness, dislocation, or instability from an untreated condition called degenerative spine disease.

A spinal tumor is an abnormal growth of tissue in the spinal column. Spinal tumors can be primary or metastatic (secondary).
Primary tumors originate in the vertebrae or the connective tissues surrounding the spinal cord.
Metastatic tumors move to the spine from another part of the body.
Spinal tumors can damage the spinal cord by pressing on or infiltrating it, but they do not begin growing in the spinal cord itself. Tumors that originate in the spinal cord are called spinal cord tumors.
Benign (noncancerous) spinal tumors do not spread to tissues of the spinal cord or surrounding structures. Malignant (cancerous) tumors invade surrounding tissues to varying degrees.

Tethered spinal cord syndrome, or tethered cord, is a condition in which your spinal cord becomes attached to your lumbar spine.
Normally, your spine floats in a cushion of cerebrospinal fluid within the center of your spinal column. This allows it to move freely with bending and stretching and also protects it from stress as the bones of your spinal column grow.

A herniated disc occurs when the soft center (the nucleus pulposus) of an intervertebral disc pushes through a tear in the tough outer layer (the annulus fibrosus) of the disc and into the spinal canal. The protruding disc fragment can put pressure on the spinal cord, causing back pain and spinal cord dysfunction.
Intervertebral discs act as shock absorbers for the spine and enable it to move. These discs can tear due to degeneration, injury, or a combination of both.
Herniated discs can occur in any part of the spine but are most common in the lower back (lumbar spine) followed by the neck (cervical spine). Herniated discs are least common in the mid back (thoracic spine).

Lumbar spondylolisthesis is a condition in which a bone (vertebra) in the lumbar spine (lower back) slips forward out of position onto the bone below it. It may occur as a result of a defect, an injury, degeneration due to aging, or a disease.
Depending on the degree of the slip, symptoms of lumbar spondylolisthesis can vary from mild to severe or not be present at all.

Degenerative neck conditions affect the cervical vertebrae – the seven vertebrae that form the upper part of your spine, between your skull and chest.
When one or more of these bones is broken, the injury is called a cervical fracture. A cervical fracture can result in bone that is broken into pieces or cracks and fissures in the bone.
This condition can often lead to severe neck pain. Other conditions associated with a cervical fracture (broken neck) include Muscle sprain, Dislocation of the flexible disks between the vertebrae, Damage to the spinal cord.

Radiculopathy is a disease of the root of a nerve, such as from a pinched nerve or a tumour.
A pinched nerve is a compressed nerve. Surrounding tissues that press on nerve roots can cause pain, numbness and tingling in different areas of your body.
Most pinched nerves originate in the neck (cervical radiculopathy), upper middle back (thoracic radiculopathy) or lower back (lumbar radiculopathy).
A pinched nerve can be painful, but it’s usually treatable with rest, over-the-counter medication and physical therapy. Most people recover fully from a pinched nerve.

Sciatica is nerve pain from an injury or irritation to the sciatic nerve, which originates in your buttock/gluteal area.
The sciatic nerve is the longest and thickest (almost finger-width) nerve in the body.
True injury to the sciatic nerve “sciatica” is actually rare, but the term “sciatica” is commonly used to describe any pain that originates in the lower back and radiates down the leg.

Even minor falls or trauma can produce a spine fracture. Many of these injuries will never require surgery, but major fractures can result in serious long-term problems unless treated promptly and properly.
Spine fractures range from painful compression fractures, often seen after minor trauma in osteoporotic patients, to more severe injuries such as burst fractures and fracture-dislocations that occur following auto accidents or falls from height.
These severe injuries frequently result in spinal instability, with a high risk of spinal cord injury and pain.
Osteoporosis, or weakening of the bones, can lead to painful vertebral compression fractures.