Cervical Spondylosis
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Cervical spondylosis is a degenerative disorder of the cervical spine. In majority of cases, it is caused due to age related changes taking place in the inter vertebral discs.
What is Cervical Spondylosis?
Cervical spondylosis is a degenerative disorder of the cervical spine. In majority of cases, it is caused due to age related changes taking place in the inter vertebral discs. With advancing age, bones gradually deteriorate forming outgrowths called spurs. These cause pressure on the nerve endings arising from in between the vertebrae giving rise to symptoms of cervical spondylosis.
Common symptoms include neck and shoulder pain and headache.
It affects both men and women equally, but, men comparatively develop it an early age.
Treatment includes pain relieving drugs, exercise and lifestyle changes.
What are the causes of Cervical Spondylosis?
Age: Cervical spondylosis is caused by wear and tear of the cartilages and bones. The tissue covering the bone wears away and this leads to deposition of minerals in between the vertebrae. These mineral deposits then form outgrowths called “Spurs” on the bones of the spine. These spurs then press upon the nerve roots causing pain.
Trauma: Repeated trauma to the cervical spine due to occupations like carrying loads, dancing, gymnastics etc. can also damage the spine.
Genetic: There are some cases with a family history of spondylosis.
Sign and Symptoms
-- Pain: Intermittent neck and shoulder pain is the most common symptom. The pain may sometimes be radiating to the back of the head and the arms.
-- Stiffness: This develops at a later stage of the disorder. It is worse in winters and after exertion.
-- Numbness: Many patients experience numbness of the hands and difficulty in writing.
-- Weakness: There is a general weakness of the muscles of the arms and legs.
-- Loss of sphincter control and urinary incontinence are rare but seen in some cases.
-- Difficulty in walking.Diagnosis
Medical history of all signs and symptoms along with some investigations helps in establishing a diagnosis of cervical spondylosis.
Difficulty in moving and tilting the head is normally seen.Neurological tests are done to check if there is any loss of sensation in any of the parts supplied by nerves originating from the cervical spine.
Tests that can help confirm the diagnosis include:
-- Plain X-ray of the cervical spine may show abnormalities like spurs, which cause cervical spondylosis.
-- CT Scan or MRI of the affected spine gives a better picture of the abnormalities. It helps in determining the extent of damage to the spine.
-- A myelogram is done in cases where diagnosis is inconclusive after all the above tests. A dye is injected into the spinal canal and then images are taken to get a clear view of the spine and surrounding tissues.
Treatment
The goal of treatment is to relieve pain and prevent permanent spinal cord and nerve root injury.
Mild cases usually stabilize or get better with simple conservative measures like:
Neck immobilization with a soft cervical collar. This is the most common, non operative treatment. The collar should be worn as long as possible during the day. Once symptoms are better, it should be worn only during strenuous activities and then gradually discontinued.
Administration of NSAID’s help in reducing pain and inflammation. Muscle relaxants also help in relieving the spasm and pain to a certain extent. Oral and local steroids are beneficial in most cases but must be used with caution and reserved for emergencies.Severe cases may need hospital admission and rest to the spine. This is accompanied with traction to the neck for a few days.Surgery is recommended cases which do not respond to any of these measures and symptoms keep getting worse. t involves removal of spurs and relieving any stenosis in the spinal column. It has the risk of post surgical membrane rupture, bleeding and worsening of the existing condition. Therefore, it should be avoided and resorted to as last measureComplications
if not treated in time, cervical spondylosis can lead to permanent disability. It leads to spinal cord dysfunction in the elderly.
