Like most in Providence County, you likely accept the fact that certain aspects of your health may begin to deteriorate as you age. Yet that does not mean that you should be forced to live with daily pain and discomfort. Yet we at DeLuca and Associates Ltd understand that the trouble with providers dismissing your pain as being age-related without investigating its cause lies in the potential for the underlying condition to worsen, taking an even greater toll on your quality of life.
One of the more common age-related issues that you may begin to experience (particularly after the age of 50) is cervical spinal stenosis. This is caused by a narrowing of the spinal canal at or near the neck. Eventually, the canal compresses to the point of actually pinching your spinal cord. As your reach this point, you may begin to experience initial symptoms, which according to the website Spine-Health.com may include:
- A heavy feeling in the outer extremities
- Intermittent pains in the arms and legs
- Impairment of your fine motor skills
- Difficulty enduring physical activities
If left untreated, cervical spinal stenosis can progress on to more serious symptoms such as loss of bladder and bowel control and/or permanent paralysis.
The treatment for this condition is to undergo surgery to decompress the affected area of the spinal canal. However, some doctors may be reluctant to diagnose this condition and to recommend this course of treatment, choosing instead to write your symptoms off as being normal for your age. If, however, you believe the problem to be more pervasive, you may need to assert your authority over the control of your care.
You can find more information on your potential to be misdiagnosed by a doctor by continuing to explore our site.