Transverse myelitis (TM) is a rare disease of the central nervous system, with no more than an average of 300 cases diagnosed in the UK each year.
A typical GP sees one case of Transverse Myelitis every 100 years!!
Transverse myelitis (TM) is a neurological disorder caused by inflammation across one segment of the spinal cord. The inflammation causes swelling which can interrupt or block messages (nerve impulses) travelling along the spinal cord. The inflammtion can also damage or destroy myelin, (the fatty insulating substance that covers nerve cell fibers).
This damage causes nervous system scars that block communications between the nerves in the spinal cord and the rest of the body.
The central nervous system is made up of the brain and spinal cord. Messages (nerve impulses) from the brain travel along the spinal cord and control the activities of the body such as movement of the arms and legs or function of the organs.
Symptoms of TM include a loss of spinal cord function over several hours to several weeks. What usually begins as a sudden onset of lower back pain, muscle weakness, or abnormal sensations in the toes and feet can rapidly progress to more severe symptoms, including paralysis, urinary retention, and loss of bowel control.
Some people recover from TM with minor or no residual problems, others suffer permanent impairments that affect their ability to perform ordinary tasks of daily living. Demyelination usually occurs at the thoracic level, causing problems with leg movement and bowel and bladder control, which require signals from the lower segments of the spinal cord.
Transverse Myelitis is a life long disease and as of yet there is NO cure. The more people that are aware of TM, the more likely it is that people will recieve speedy treatment and provide the possibility of less structural tissue damage incurred to nerve cells and a greater chance for recovery.
This damage causes nervous system scars that block communications between the nerves in the spinal cord and the rest of the body.
The central nervous system is made up of the brain and spinal cord. Messages (nerve impulses) from the brain travel along the spinal cord and control the activities of the body such as movement of the arms and legs or function of the organs.
Symptoms of TM include a loss of spinal cord function over several hours to several weeks. What usually begins as a sudden onset of lower back pain, muscle weakness, or abnormal sensations in the toes and feet can rapidly progress to more severe symptoms, including paralysis, urinary retention, and loss of bowel control.
Some people recover from TM with minor or no residual problems, others suffer permanent impairments that affect their ability to perform ordinary tasks of daily living. Demyelination usually occurs at the thoracic level, causing problems with leg movement and bowel and bladder control, which require signals from the lower segments of the spinal cord.
Transverse Myelitis is a life long disease and as of yet there is NO cure. The more people that are aware of TM, the more likely it is that people will recieve speedy treatment and provide the possibility of less structural tissue damage incurred to nerve cells and a greater chance for recovery.
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