| Presenting symptoms | Tingling numbness in both hands or all 4 limbs
Walking difficulty Rarely pain |
Radicular pain in one upper limb |
| Reason | Compression of spinal cord | Compression of Spinal nerve |
| Emergency | Should diagnose as early as possible | Not an emergency |
| Treatment of choice | May need close observation sos surgery | Conservative treatment with medications and rest |
| Examination findings | All reflexes are brisk
Spasticity is present |
Reflexes are normal or absent |
| Disability | Small hand functions are affected like handwriting, buttoning and unbuttoning of shirt | Small hand functions are good
Pain may cause discomfort |
| Prognosis | Can progress over the period of time | Gets better with time |
| Surgery | Needed in most cases | Needed in very few patients |