[2] In advanced stages, this disorder causes flaccid paraplegia (impairment of motor function in lower extremities), total areflexia (below normal or absence of reflexes) of the pelvic limbs and anus, loss of deep pain perception caudal (toward the coccyx, or tail) to the site of spinal cord injury, muscular atrophy (wasting away of muscle tissue), depressed mental state, and respiratory difficulty due to intercostal (muscles that run between the ribs) and diaphragmatic paralysis.

[3] Gradual cranial migration of the neurological deficits (problems relating to the nervous system), is known as ascending syndrome and is said to be a typical feature of diffuse myelomalacia.

[citation needed] When myelomalacia occurs, the damage done to the spinal cord may range from minimal to extensive.

The spinal cord and the brain work together, making them the key components of the central nervous system.

[citation needed] The most common way the disorder occurs is from a result of hemorrhaging (bleeding within) or inadequate blood supply to the spinal cord, making it weak and susceptible to damage.

[citation needed] There are two tests that can provide a definite diagnosis of myelomalacia; magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or myelography.

Medications such as NSAIDs and gabapentinoids may be prescribed to reduce swelling of the spinal cord, pain, and spasticity.