Tremors are extremely rare but can be caused by spinal compression. Tremors are defined as involuntary shaking movements in one or various body parts. Muscle contractions are the main reason for these unnatural movements.
When the movement-controlling brain part is having issues, it may cause tremors. Multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and traumatic brain injury are common neurological disorders that can cause tremors. Some other causes that can lead to tremors include anxiety, thyroid disorders, conditions related to excessive alcohol consumption, drug use, and certain medications. However, doctors find it hard to identify the cause in most cases.
The majority of sources do not mention spinal issues as a possible reason for tremors. However, spinal cord compression can rarely result in tremors.
Spinal problems and tremors
When we hear the word “tremors,” most of us think of Parkinson’s disease; however, they are one of the defining symptoms of the condition. According to a study that was published in the neurology journal “Frontiers in Neurology,” more than 75% of patients with Parkinson’s disease experienced a resting tremor (tremors while taking rest), and nearly 60% of the patients experienced them during movement.
While there are numerous causes of tremors, as mentioned above, most of them are related to the brain, not the spine. Occasionally, spine problems like spinal cord compression might cause tremors.
In a report, doctors stated that an elderly man developed tremors as a result of spinal cord compression in the neck, which is referred to as cervical myelopathy. This patient experienced tremors in both upper limbs (arms) and lower limbs (legs), and the condition rapidly progressed within two weeks, making it difficult to feed himself and move around without assistance.
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Initially, doctors suspected that the condition was Parkinson’s disease, but the patient had no other symptoms related to Parkinson’s, and certain diagnosis tests ruled it out. However, an MRI scan taken later revealed that the patient had a herniated cervical (C3-C4) disc.
Cervical dystonia and cervical spondylotic myelopathy are spinal conditions caused when a disc in your neck is compressed and they may cause tremors. These rare neurological disorders can disrupt brain activity, which might lead to muscle contractions in the neck that are involuntary. These contractions might occur continuously or appear as spasms that resemble tremors. Based on the severity of the condition, symptoms vary, and it can affect the quality of life.
Cervical myelopathy: causes and symptoms.
There are many causes of cervical spondylotic myelopathy, which include spinal stenosis, damage to the spine (trauma), infections, and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Problems with balance and coordination; weakness, numb feeling, and tingling in upper limbs; and impaired motor skills are the common cervical spondylotic myelopathy symptoms.
Although tremors are one of the symptoms, they do not always appear. Tremors are not a severe symptom compared to other symptoms like falling due to balance problems.
Cervical Myelopathy vs. Parkinson’s Disease
Symptoms of cervical spondylotic myelopathy and Parkinson’s disease might have been similar in some cases, which has led to confusion between the two diagnoses.
A study published by the “Cleveland Clinic Centre for Spine Health” stated that patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease might have symptoms like weakness, coordination problems, and bowel or dysfunction of the bladder, and these symptoms are similar to cervical spondylotic myelopathy.
Treatment for tremor-related back issues
Treatment options depend on the cause of tremor-related back issues. For instance, if the spinal problem is disc herniation, doctors might recommend undergoing anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) surgery to treat the condition. The procedure involves removing the damaged disc parts in the spinal cord and fusing the bones together to prevent movement.
Curing cervical dystonia is hard, which is why doctors recommend a combination of treatment options.
- Botulinum toxin (Botox) injections
- Oral medications like levodopa, benztropine, baclofen, and clonazepam are suggested by doctors to ease symptoms even though they are not approved by the FDA.
- Surgical options like operating on the nerves that are connected to the dystonic muscles and deep brain stimulation (DBS), placing electrodes into a specific area of the brain.
Prevention is better than cure; you can prevent spinal problems to some extent if you follow specific tips from expert spine doctors. For more detailed information or to have any back-related problems, consult Dr. Surya Prakash, one of the best spine surgeons in Hyderabad. He has more than two decades of experience in treating various spinal problems.
