M47.16: Other spondylosis with myelopathy Lumbar region

Changes in your spine have damaged your spinal cord.

The spine consists of several sections. The cervical spine begins below the head. The cervical spine is very mobile. Below that is the thoracic spine. The ribs are attached to the thoracic spine. Below the thoracic spine is the lumbar spine. The lumbar spine is also very mobile and it bears a large part of the body’s weight. After the lumbar spine, the sacrum and coccyx join.

Your spine is changed at your lumbar spine.

The spine is made up of the individual vertebrae. Between every 2 vertebrae there is a vertebral disc. Most vertebrae consist of a vertebral body and a vertebral arch. The vertebral body bears the weight of the body. The vertebral arches lie on top of one another to form the spinal canal. The spinal cord lies in the vertebral canal. The individual vertebrae are connected to each other by small joints. Intervertebral discs consist of cartilage and connective tissue. Intervertebral discs connect neighboring vertebrae to one another and absorb pressure and shocks.

The vertebral discs, the vertebrae and the small joints can be damaged by aging and long-term strain, for example. This can cause bony projections to form, for example. The inside of the bone can also change.

The changes can make the spine painful or make it less mobile than usual. The spinal cord damage can cause other discomforts. These symptoms depend on where areas of your spinal cord have been damaged. For example, you may then feel radiating pain or a tingling in your skin. One’s skin may also feel numb in certain places. It may also be that you are no longer able to move certain muscles properly.