Last week, the Wall Street Journal shared a new study underway at  Tufts University’s Lahey Hospital on the treatment options for cervical myelopathy, often referred to spinal compression. As one of the most common spinal cord problems for Americans over age 55,  this is  a condition that specialists have been studying since the early part of last century.  This new research  is another step to help us better define the optimal surgical approach to this patient group. Cervical myelopathy, or spinal cord compression, is caused by degeneration or damage to the spine that causes a narrowing of the spinal canal. As the spinal canal narrows, pressure is put onto the spinal cord, which can lead to neurologic symptoms affecting the arms or legs. If signals are blocked between the brain and the body, it can cause common symptoms such as weakness, imbalance, loss of hand coordination, numbness, and others. Nonsurgical options such as physical therapy and exercise are not effective for the neurological symptoms of cervical myelopathy , but in mild cases can possibly reduce pain. when the condition progresses or becomes severe, surgery becomes necessary. There are three common surgery options for the condition that are used in different situations.