Headaches Caused by Spinal Tethered Cord Syndrome

Identification

• A tethered spinal cord is considered a neurological defect, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes. This condition occurs when the tissue attachments limit the movement of the spinal cord inside the spinal column. These attachments cause uncharacteristic stretching of the spinal cord. Tethering can also be the result of a spinal cord injury. Scar tissue can develop, and this prevents the proper flow of fluids around the spinal cord.
  
  

Prediction

• A tethered spinal cord gets worse at you age. When a child has a tethered spinal cord the growth process will make the tethers stretch, which can eventually interfere with blood supply to the spine and damage to the spine.
  
  

Symptoms

• If you have this condition you may suffer from headaches, although they are not one of the main symptoms of this condition. The repetitive stretching of the spinal cord whenever the individual flexes her neck or bends at the waist will eventually cause leg pain and numbness, weakness of the legs, a disturbance in her balance and incontinence, according to wichiaricenter.org.
  
  

Other Considerations

• Other signs that you may have a tethered spinal cord include curvature of the spine; skin abnormalities that appear directly over the spinal cord, including birthmarks, skin discoloration, fatty lumps, skin tags, midline dimples or tracts of sinuses leading toward the spinal cord, according to pedneurosurgery.net. Other symptoms include deformity of the hips or legs, bladder or bowel incontinence, loss of sensation in the legs, a change in gait, stumbling, leg or back pain, and loss of strength in the feet or legs.
  
  

Options

• New York-Presbyterian hospital notes that the treatment for this condition involves opening the lower back to reveal the site where the spinal cord is pinned. The tether is undone by repairing the abnormality or by removing a protrusion. There is always the chance that the spinal cord can become retethered, so the patient must be closely monitored after surgery. If surgery is not an option, the spinal cord nerve roots can be cut to ease pain.