Dropping a coffee mug, struggling with buttons, or noticing that your handwriting has changed may not immediately make you think about your neck. However, pressure on the spinal cord in the cervical spine can affect hand coordination, strength, and balance. Dr. Rajesh Bindal completed neurological surgery residency training and now treats patients from Sugar Land and the Greater Houston area at Texas Spine & Neurosurgery Center. For selected patients with cervical myelopathy, cervical laminoplasty is one procedure our team may consider to relieve pressure on the spinal cord.
Why Can a Neck Problem Affect Your Hands or Walking?
The spinal cord carries messages between your brain and the rest of your body. When it becomes compressed in the neck, those signals may not travel normally.
You might notice difficulty buttoning a shirt, using a pen, handling small objects, or holding onto items. Other possible signs include hand numbness or weakness, changes in coordination, an unsteady gait, or needing more support when using stairs.
These symptoms can develop slowly, making them easy to dismiss at first. They can also result from conditions unrelated to the spine, so a medical evaluation is important for identifying the cause.
Is Spinal Cord Compression the Same as a Pinched Nerve?
Not exactly. A pinched cervical nerve often causes pain, tingling, numbness, or weakness that follows a particular nerve into the shoulder, arm, or hand.
Pressure on the spinal cord may have broader effects. In addition to changes in the hands, you may notice problems with walking, balance, or coordination.
Conditions such as spinal stenosis can reduce the space around neurological structures in the neck. Our neck treatment and cervical spine surgery resources explain some of the conditions that may affect this area.
When Should Neurological Changes Be Evaluated?
If you are dropping objects more often, becoming increasingly unsteady, or developing new weakness, those changes deserve medical attention. A sudden or rapidly worsening neurological problem requires prompt medical evaluation.
Treatment is based on what is causing the pressure and how it is affecting you. Some patients may be candidates for laminoplasty, while others may need a different decompression procedure, including certain forms of posterior cervical surgery. Surgery is not appropriate for every patient.
Talk With a Spine Specialist in Sugar Land
If you are noticing changes in your hands, walking, or coordination, contact us to arrange an evaluation at Texas Spine & Neurosurgery Center. Dr. Bindal sees Houston-area patients at our Sugar Land office. You can also reach our team at 281-313-0031.