Cervical Spondylosis

Cervical spondylosis is a type of degenerative disease that affects your neck. Normally, soft disks between your vertebrae, the bones in your spine, provide cushioning. With cervical spondylosis, these disks become compressed. Cervical spondylosis is very common and worsens with age. More than 85% of people older than age 60 are affected by cervical spondylosis.

Symptoms of cervical spondylosis: Symptoms of cervical spondylosis can include:

• Pain in the neck that may travel to your arms or shoulders

• Headaches
• A grinding feeling when you move your neck
• Weakness in your arms and legs

• Numbness in your shoulders, arms, or hands
• Stiffness in the neck
• Trouble keeping your balance
• Trouble controlling your bladder or bowels

Causes of cervical spondylosis: As people age, the structures that make up the backbone and neck gradually develop wear and tear. These changes can include:

• Dehydrated discs: Discs act like cushions between the vertebrae of the spine. By the age of 40, most people's spinal discs begin drying out and shrinking. As the discs become smaller, there is more bone-on-bone contact between the vertebrae.

• Herniated discs: Cracks also appear on the exterior of the spinal discs. The soft interior of a disc can squeeze through these cracks. Sometimes, it presses on the spinal cord and nerve roots.
• Bone spurs: As the discs break down, the body may produce extra amounts of bone in a misguided effort to strengthen the spine. These bone spurs can sometimes pinch the spinal cord and nerve roots.

• Stiff ligaments: Ligaments are cords of tissue that connect bone to bone. Spinal ligaments can stiffen with age, making the neck less flexible.

Diagnosis of cervical spondylosis: Your healthcare provider will give you a physical examination to see if you have this condition. You will probably discuss any neck injuries you've had and describe your symptoms. The healthcare provider will probably check your neck, shoulders, arms, and legs to see how well they're working. Other tests that may help make a diagnosis include:

• Imaging tests: X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans all provide images of the structures in your spine for the healthcare provider to see. These can show the bones, disks, muscles, and nerves in and around your neck, as well as your spinal cord.
• Myelography: During this test, the healthcare provider injects a dye into the fluid around your spinal cord and then does a CT scan to see how the bone spurs and disks are interacting with the individual nerves.
• Electromyography: This test shows how well your nerves are passing along signals from your spinal cord to your muscles.

Treatment of cervical spondylosis: Your healthcare provider can recommend a variety of treatments for pain relief from cervical spondylosis, depending on your needs. 

These may include:

• Medicines: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines, like ibuprofen or aspirin, opioid pain relievers, and muscle relaxants may help.

• Physical therapy: A physical therapist can teach you stretching and strengthening exercises that may ease symptoms.

• Ice or heat: Cool your neck with an ice pack or heat it with a warming pad as directed by your healthcare provider or physical therapist.
• Collar: Wearing a soft collar around your neck for short periods may help your symptoms. It can cause your neck to weaken, however, if you wear it too long.

• Injections: A healthcare provider can inject steroid medicine and pain-relieving drugs into the painful joint in your neck or into the space next to your spinal cord.
• Manipulative therapy: Manipulative therapies include chiropractic, osteopathy and manual medicine. They're used mainly for: musculoskeletal problems, including spine, neck and shoulder disorders. joint, posture and muscle problems.

Exercises for cervical spondylosis: The correct exercises for cervical spondylosis may depend on the person and pain severity. Physical therapy can help a person decide on a suitable exercise routine. 

Some options to try include: 

• Head turn
• Chin to chest
• Head tilt (side-to-side) stretches
• Neck Tilts
• Neck Retractions
• Shoulder Blade Squeeze
• Cervical Isometrics

Effective management of Cervical Spondylosis at Spine Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation Centre (SPTRC) in Shyamoli requires teamwork among medical professionals and patients, which in turn improves the patients' quality of life.

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