Apr 25

Myelopathy – The Chiropractor Brief for Accident & Injury Cases

 In this newsletter for personal injury attorneys, we strive to present sound medical information that has been used in previous cases for accident and injury victims.  Provided by chiropractors and medically trained professionals, it can help legal counsels in thier efforts to establish grounds for compensation for their clients.

In trauma series #8 we discussed spinal cord compression, where a herniated disc pushes into the spinal cord and the cord is pressed against the back of the spinal canal (see picture below). 

Myelopathy – Trauma Series #9
This “pincer” action on the spinal cord can cause serious neurological consequences as a result of trauma. Should your client have neurological deficits as a result of a disc herniation distal to the level of lesion (see picture below, where the outer shaded [dark blue] area in the arm is affected), this is called a myelopathy. 

A myelopathic finding is one of the most significant injuries to the spinal cord resulting in an immediate surgical consultation – and often surgery is the only solution to the injury. Distal to the level of lesion means that if the herniation is in the neck, the problem can be in the arms or legs (below the herniation).      

Myelopathic Disc
 (image courtesy of Wikipedia)
However, if the herniation is in the mid to lower back, the problem in the arms cannot be from a myelopathy because the symptoms are above the problem area.  Remember, this cannot happen in the lumbar spine because there is no spinal cord in the lumbar region.

The medical information in this email is provided as an information resource only for attorneys and their representatives in automotive/injury accident cases, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes.

This information does not create any patient-physician relationship, and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment. Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions. © 2019 – This copyrighted material is exclusive to Disc Center Of America – Vancouver, Dr. Troy Dreiling, D.C. / Brian O’Neill, D.C. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.