The spinal cord is part of the central nervous system and is attached to the brain stem. From here, it passes through the spinal canal of the spine and distributes itself through the foramen vertebrale into the rest of the body by means of peripheral nerves. The spinal cord is thus responsible for sending signals from the brain to their destination in the body.
For this to function smoothly, there must be enough space for the spinal cord in the spinal canal. However, if this space is not given to the spinal cord due to the bony limitation of the spinal canal, this can lead to compression. This disrupts the transmission and leads to neurological deficits and the clinical picture of myelopathy.
Depending on how the nerve tracts of the spinal cord are endangered, the symptom picture of the patient may also vary. The spectrum can range from slight restrictions in movement to neurological failures such as paralysis. All these impairments cause reduced mobility, which can lead to a severe reduction in quality of life.
In order to maintain the movement and strength of the musculoskeletal system, physiotherapy is an important component of treatment for myelopathy. At the beginning, the diagnostics examine the patient’s possibilities and everyday life. This also determines the objective of the therapy and which activity should be practiced.
If necessary, aids are used to enable the patient to carry out everyday activities independently as required. In any case, in addition to the environmental factors, the physical condition of the patient is also examined and deficits are filtered out. In order to guarantee the patient mobility despite the myelopathy, strengthening exercises for the musculature are used.
Coordination and balance are also of relevance, which are in any case enhanced by exercises. In physiotherapy, the cooperation between therapist and patient is fundamental in order to be able to carry out the treatment in the long term. It can take a lot of patience until improvements occur in the patient.
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