The body is amazingly resilient. However, some of that recovery can be misleading. It seems that the body recovers, but then years later those old injuries come back. Trauma-induced Syringomyelia has a bad habit of showing up years after the fact, hiding in a latent manner for decades until the body ages, and then it starts to appear.
Per Dr. Payam Toobian‘s expertise, the actual condition involves cysts that develop inside the spinal cord. These cysts, technically known as the syrinx, encases fluid and grow in size over time. As the cyst grows, it starts to create pressure on the surrounding spinal cord tissue, and eventually, that can start to damage the nervous system, forcing fibers to be crushed as well as interrupting signals between the brain and body.
The materials that create the cyst come from the body itself, notes Payam Toobian. As a result, the body doesn’t treat the cyst as an outside threat. Normally, cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF flows through the channel, providing a fluid protection system for the entire nervous system connection. However, whether due to genetics or trauma, fluid can congeal into a syrinx. When that happens, notes Dr. Payam Toobian, the cyst starts to snowball over time, creating internal havoc.
Again, Syringomyelia doesn’t just appear; it builds up progressively. However, the trigger can definitely be caused by a sudden trauma to the neck and spine, a condition that is common in car accidents or serious physical trauma. The roots of Syringomyelia can be found in a whiplash or severe wrenching experience, for example. It can also be triggered in genesis by wear and tear injuries as well as falls and impacts. Again, vehicle accidents tend to be the most common, but similar accidents from sports or active living can be suspect as well.
Symptoms are similar to other forms of Syringomyelia, including pain, a progressive loss of control of limbs, continuing stiffness along the spine usually centered in the shoulders or in the legs, and nerve sensations such as numbness or losing the ability to feel things such as temperature or texture. Payam Toobian also points out that headaches, problems with intimacy, and bowel control tend to be reported as well.
Fortunately, per Dr. Payam Toobian, Syringomyelia can be treated. However, because it is such an obscure condition, many doctors and medical personnel are immediately familiar with it. Expertise is the key, advises Payam Toobian, especially in terms of being able to ascertain and diagnose the correct condition of the cysts that have developed and where they are located against the spinal cord. The key to focus on involves identifying the Syringomyelia cause versus just addressing the symptoms.
