SPECIALTY SPOTLIGHT
Balance issues, clumsy hands could be a bad sign — Cervical Laminoplasty stops myelopathy in its tracks By Julie Maurer
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CHECK YOUR SPINE
hile one may think tingling hands or balance issues may be a sign of age, they could indicate something
more. According to Joseph Maslak, MD, a Fellowship Trained Orthopedic Spine Surgeon with The CORE Institute, these symptoms could be an indication of myelopathy. This is a condition which most commonly results from spinal cord compression or cervical stenosis and can look very different from other spine
and nerve problems. “Most conditions of the spine involve pain, but with myelopathy, the symptoms are often vague and painless,” Dr. Maslak said. “Patients come into clinic with balance difficulties, and sometimes even reports of falls. They have tingling in their hands and difficulty with fine motor control, and often find themselves dropping things and having a hard time with things such as buttons and eating utensils.”
TheCOREInstitute.com
