Myelopathy refers to dysfunction of the spinal cord, often from compression, inflammation, injury, or other disease.
Symptoms may include weakness, clumsiness, numbness, balance problems, walking difficulty, hand coordination trouble, and sometimes bladder or bowel changes.
Imaging helps show whether the spinal cord is compressed, inflamed, injured, or scarred, and whether urgent treatment may prevent permanent damage.
MRI is especially important because it shows the spinal cord, surrounding discs, narrowing, and any internal cord signal change.
Management depends on the cause and urgency and may include surgery, medicines, rehabilitation, or other specialist treatment.
This entry explains the condition. The next step is having a radiologist interpret your specific scan, not a general definition.
