Spinal cord & its abnormalities..
The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular bundle of nervous tissue and support cells that extends from the brain. The brain and spinal cord together make up the central nervous system (CNS) that relays messages to and from our brain. It is housed inside our vertebrae, which are the bone disks that make up your spine. Normally, our vertebrae protect our spinal cord. If they don't, we can sustain a spinal cord injury. Besides injuries, the spinal cord can develop--
• Tumors
• Infections such as meningitis and poliomyelitis
• Inflammatory diseases
• Autoimmune diseases
• Degenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and spinal muscular atrophy
Symptoms vary but might include pain, numbness, loss of sensation and muscle weakness. These symptoms can occur around the spinal cord, and also in other areas such as your arms and legs. Treatments vary but often include medicines and surgery.
