Benjamin Davies

Benjamin Davies

New Myelopathy Matters Podcasts!

Myelopathy Matters, Myelopathy.org’s podcast series, is back for its fourth season. Dr Benjamin Davies and Iwan Sadler are joined by guests from around the world, including people with Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy (DCM), scientists, and healthcare professionals, who all share one…

Ageing increases impact of spinal cord compression

FEM (Finite Element Method) analyses the impact of mechanical loads e.g. 'stress'. It was principally used in engineering (for example aerospace), but increasingly also medical research At the moment, we do not have medical investigations which are able to represent accurately the significance of spinal cord injury.  For example, you could have two patients with exactly the same MRI changes, one who is without symptoms and th [...]

Addressing recent concerns about Myelopathy.org and affiliated surveys

A message from the director ​Concerns have recently been raised with regards the legitimacy of the Health Surveys hosted by Myelopathy.org and I would like to address these directly.  As you are only too aware, Myelopathy is a condition which faces a number of significant challenges including lifelong disability, widespread misunderstanding and under-recognition, and a lack of clear information or support.   Myelopathy.org was founded to address these issues and become a ra [...]

In search of Myelopathy man

By Delphine Houlton Our Facebook Myelopathy Support group, founded by Iwan Sadler, now has more than 1,000 members worldwide.A great success story which is set to grow as awareness of Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy (DCM) increases. There is little doubt that social media is revolutionizing health care. A US study by Pricewaterhouse Cooper in 2012 showed that one third of US consumers use social space as a natural habitat for health discussions. Meanwhile a 2010 report by the Pew Int [...]

Headaches more common in CSM

​Cervical spondylosis, more than a pain in the neck? by J.Hamilton For some migraines is just another word for headache, but in medicine it refers to a specific type of headache characterised by severe head pain that can last from 2-72 hours, are a common disorder and can be incapacitating to people who suffer them. Migraines are common, with estimates suggesting up to one billion people are affected worldwide. Various tri [...]

Investigating exercise after anterior cervical discectomy: what should we advise?

My name is Dr Teena Fernandez. I am a GP in North Wales currently undertaking research as part of my Masters in Sports and Exercise Medicine at Nottingham University. During my studies my husband sustained a cervical spine injury resulting in a 2 level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion and we found little advice or evidence on returning to sport following such surgery. Can you help researchers from the University of Nottingham? Find Out More We did not know if he could go [...]

Making new brain cells: how mice could help astronauts and DCM patients

By M StewartEditor: B DaviesIt’s a commonly held belief that you can’t grow new brain cells as adult; you’re born with one hundred billion neurons and that’s as many as you’re getting. However, this isn’t quite the case. While new neurons don’t form in most parts of the human central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord), there are two special areas where new neurons do indeed arise after birth. These areas are found in specific parts of the brain w [...]

Community Champion Frank Dutton shares his top fundraising tips

As a Myelopathy.org Community Champion, I had the honour of holding the charity’s first fundraiser at my local football club. Community Champion Frank Dutton Myelopathy.org and Myelopathy Support on Facebook have been a great help for both me and my wife since my diagnosis in 2016. Since then, life has been difficult to say the least. Cervical myelopathy, and the accidents it has caused, have led to me going under the knife for no less than six major surgeries. These have significantly a [...]