Spinal Stroke: What You Need to Know

The spinal cord needs a steady blood supply to function properly. This helps send nerve impulses to other parts of the body. Impulses are like signals or messages that help us perform important, basic bodily movements, such as moving our arms and legs, or getting our organs to work like our intestines. work as they should.

But if blood flow to the spine is cut off or something prevents it, it can’t get the oxygen and nutrients it needs to do its job. This can cause what doctors call a “spinal stroke” or “spinal infarction.”

When blood clots (ischemic stroke) or bleeding (hemorrhagic stroke) deprive the spine of its nutrient- and oxygen-rich blood supply, It can damage or kill spinal cord tissue and cells. Although it is rare and accounts for only about 1%, In the case of stroke, it is dangerous and life-threatening.

Without immediate medical attention, a spinal cord stroke can cause life-changing health problems, such as permanent paralysis, or even death.

Symptoms may appear minutes to hours after a stroke. And they tend to get worse over time. Symptoms depend on which part of the spine is affected.

Symptoms of a spinal cord stroke may include:

• neck pain
• arm pain
• Weakness of the legs and hands
• numbness, burning, or tingling
• muscle spasms
• chest tightness or pain
• Loss of temperature sensation of objects and water
• Sudden urge to pee or poop (incontinence)
• complete or partial paralysis

Seek immediate medical attention if you or your loved one notice any of these symptoms. Call 911 or go to the nearest hospital as soon as possible.

Spinal cord stroke is more likely when the walls of the arteries that carry blood from the heart are thickened or too narrow, preventing steady blood flow to the spinal cord. Doctors call this “hardening of the arteries.”

More specifically, however, spinal stroke is often caused by a subtype of arteriosclerosis called “atheromatosis.”This causes plaque build-up and deposition within the arteries.

It can also occur if there is sudden bleeding (hemorrhage) due to high blood pressure or a ruptured spinal cord aneurysm (usually a bulging blood vessel wider than half its normal width).

There is also a risk of causing a spinal stroke if there are abnormal connections between spinal arteries and veins. This is known as a spinal vascular malformation.

Less common causes of spinal attacks include the following:

• stomach surgery
• Spinal cord tumor
• nerve damage
• spinal compression
• tangled blood vessels
• Spinal cord tuberculosis
• Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES)

Certain health conditions and lifestyle habits can increase your chances of having a spinal cord infarction, including:

• high blood pressure (hypertension)
• high cholesterol
• Smoke a cigarette
• Diabetes
• heart-related symptoms
• being obese
• Lack of exercise
• drinking too much alcoholic beverages

To check the symptoms of spinal cord infarction, you need to go to the hospital immediately. Once there, an emergency room doctor or neurologist who specializes in brain, spinal cord, and nerve problems will take your medical history and perform a detailed physical examination to avoid misdiagnosis.

To make an accurate diagnosis, doctors do the following:

• Check for severe spinal cord symptoms that have occurred within the last 12 hours.
• To get a closer look at your spine, order an imaging test, such as an MRI.
• Check the spinal fluid for inflammation.
• Further tests are performed to rule out other possible causes of numbness, weakness, or paralysis. This includes disc displacement in the spine, cancerous tumors, infected abscesses, etc.

Treatment plans depend on the cause of the stroke and the extent of the symptoms and damage caused by the stroke.

Medications include:

• Blood-thinning drugs, such as warfarin and aspirin, help dislodge clots and make the blood less sticky and viscous. It also reduces the risk of clot reformation.
• Drugs that help with symptoms of stroke, such as muscle stiffness, bladder and bowel problems, and sexual dysfunction
• drugs called statins that can control high blood pressure and cholesterol

In an emergency, your doctor may choose to surgically remove the clot from your artery or vein. This is known as surgical thrombectomy.

An incision or cut is made near the affected vessel to remove the clot. Or a small balloon-like device may be inserted to keep the blood vessel open and allow blood flow.

if I continued offal If you have weakness or paralysis, your doctor may recommend physical or occupational therapy. If you have bladder problems, you will need a catheter. A catheter is a flexible tube that is attached to the pelvic area to remove bodily fluids such as urine.

especially recovery It may take longer if you have severe symptoms. Usually, about 4 out of 10 people who have had a spinal cord stroke can regain enough function to stand and walk with a walking aid, such as a walker, within 3 to 4 years.

However, more than 2 in 10 die from serious complications.

Long-term effects of spinal stroke include:

• paralysis
• physical disability
• muscle weakness
• Problems with pee or poop
• pressure ulcers and pain
• sexual dysfunction
• joint pain
• Difficulty walking or using hands
• depression
• breathing problems

If you or a loved one shows signs of a spinal cord infarction, it’s a medical emergency. Call her 911 immediately or go to the nearest hospital.