Cervical spondylosis also called arthritis of the neck, is a general term for wear and tear that affects your cervical spine. If battling cervical spondylosis, your neck may ache, hurt, or feel stiff. There is no way healthcare providers can cure this medical conditions, but they can surely keep it from getting worse.
Cervical spondylosis is extremely common. More than 85% of people over the age of 60 are affected. The condition most often causes pain and stiffness in the neck — although many people with cervical spondylosis experience no noticeable symptoms. In most instances, cervical spondylosis responds well to conservative treatment that includes medication and physical therapy.
Sometimes cervical spondylosis results in a narrowing of the spinal canal within the bones of the spine. It is worth mentioning that the spinal canal is the space inside the vertebrae that the spinal cord and the nerve roots pass through to reach the rest of the body.
If the spinal cord or nerve roots become pinche, you might experience, tingling, numbness and weakness in the arms, hands, legs or feet, lack of coordination and difficult walking, and loss of bladder or bowel control.
You might be wondering about what causes cervical spondylosis. Well, the most common cause is changes in your spine that happen as you age. Changes may include medical conditions, including Degenerative disk disease, Herniated disk, Osteoarthritis, Bone spurs, and Spinal stenosis.
Cervical spondylosis tends to increase your risk of developing Cervical myelopathy. This is when something compresses the spinal cord in your neck. It also increase cervical radiculopathy, a pinched nerve in your neck.
How can the doctor diagnose this medical condition before asking you to commence treatment? Well, a healthcare providers will do a physical examination, including looking for bumps or knots in your neck. They may check your neck flexibility, muscle strength and reflexes in your hands, arms or legs, reflexes, and gait (how you walk).
You provider may perform different tests to get detailed images or pictures of your spine and check on your skeletal muscles and nerves. Tests may include X-ray, Computed tomography (CT) scan, Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, Myelogram, Electromyography, and Nerve conduction study.
During the first phase of treatment, your doctor may prescribe several medications to be used together to address both pain and inflammation. This include Acetaminophen, Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), oral corticosteroids and muscle relaxants.