Cervical spondylosis(neck pain)

Definition: Cervical Spondylosis With the increase in number of professionals who sit for hours together doing desk work or sitting for hours in front of the computer and call center jobs which requires continuous sitting in one posture the number of people suffering with cervical spondylosis is on the rise .Cervical spondylosis is a 'wear and tear' of the vertebrae and discs in the neck. It is a common cause of neck pain

The most common symptoms with which these patients approach the doctor are Pain and stiffness in the neck. The pain and stiffness could be confined to the neck alone There could be radiation of the pain from the neck to the right hand There could be radiation of the pain from the neck to the left hand There could be radiation of the pain from the neck to the back of the head There could be giddiness associated with pain and stiffness There could be only pain in the upper arm There could be numbness in the tips of the fingers These above symptoms could all suggest that you could be suffering from a condition known as cervical spondylosis

Cervical spine:The cervical (neck) spine is made up of small circular bones (vertebrae) stacked on top of each other. Between each vertebrae is an intervertebral disc which acts like a shock absorber and allows flexibility of the spine. Muscles and ligaments run between, and are attached to, the vertebrae. Nerves from the spinal cord pass between the vertebrae going to the shoulder, neck, arm, and upper chest.

Cervical Spondylosis:To an extent, we all develop a degree of degeneration in the vertebrae and discs as we become older. However, cervical spondylosis is a term used if the degree of degeneration is more severe, and causes more symptoms, than is expected for a given age. As the 'discs' degenerate, over many years they become thinner. Sometimes the adjacent vertebrae develop small, rough areas of bone on their edges. The nearby muscles, ligaments, and nerves may become irritated by these degenerative changes which can cause troublesome symptoms. If you are around the age of forty or above and suffering from neck pain, there are good enough chances that the pain in your neck could be cervical spondylosis. Although this disorder can start early but it usually appears around the age of forty. Although cervical spondylosis affects both sexes equally, men tend to develop it at an earlier age than women Cervical spondylosis is a disorder of the neck spine where the vertebrae (bones in the neck) and the discs (cushions between the vertebrae) start degenerating. This is also known as cervical osteoarthritis. The degeneration in the bones and the disks occur as a result of wear and tear as one ages. As one ages, the discs loose their elasticity and become drier this causes them to become more brittle .Along with the degeneration of disks, bony out growths also form on the vertebrae which are called as osteophytes. All These degenerative changes in the cervical spine cause compression and pressure on the spinal nerves that come out of the spinal cord producing symptoms of Cervical spondylosis The symptoms of cervical spondylosis are pain and stiffness in the neck which is usually progressive in nature; pain and numbness that radiates to the arms hands and fingers, headache that starts from the neck and extends to the back of the head, loss of balance and vertigo (sensation of spinning or whirling with loss of balance)

Symptoms :Pain in the neck. This may spread to the base of the skull and shoulders. Movement of the neck may make the pain worse. The pain sometimes spreads down an arm to a hand or fingers. This is caused by irritation of a nerve which goes to the arm from the spinal cord in the neck. The pain tends to wax and wane with flare-ups from time to time. However, some people develop chronic (persistent) pain. Well the most common symptoms with which these patients approach the doctor are 1-Pain and stiffness in the neck. 2-The pain and stiffness could be confined to the neck alone 3-There could be radiation of the pain from the neck to the right hand 4-There could be radiation of the pain from the neck to the left hand 5-There could be radiation of the pain from the neck to the back of the head 6-There could be giddiness associated with pain and stiffness 7-There could be only pain in the upper arm 8-There could be numbness in the tips of the fingers 9-These above symptoms could all suggest that you could be suffering from a condition known as cervical spondylosis

Neck stiffness and pain may be worse with upright activities.

Numbness and weakness may appear in the arms, hands, and fingers, and weakness in the legs. May feel or hear grinding or popping in the neck when you move. Muscle spasms or headaches. May feel irritable and fatigue, disturb sleep and impair your ability to work Most of the patients suffer eigther Radiculopathy or Myelopathy symptoms.

Radiculopathy symptoms (compression of nerve roots originated from the cervical region) include,Pain in the neck-radiating to the shoulder,biceps,top of the shoulders ,upper arms and hands or back of the head.Crunching sounds while moving the neck or shoulder muscles. Numbness and tingling sensation in the arms,hands and fingers-some loss of feeling in the hands andimpairment of reflexes. Muscle weakenss and deteriorationNeck stiffnessHead ache.

Myelopathy symptoms: (compression of spinal cord within the spinal canal) includeDizziness and unsteady gait in the earlier stage and loss of bladder control,leg weakness & Paraplegia with advanced stages. Some neck stiffness, particularly after a night's rest.

Headaches from time to time. The headaches often start at the back of the head just above the neck and travel over the top to the forehead. Numbness, pins and needles or weakness may occur in part of the arm or hand. Tell a doctor if these symptoms occur as they may indicate a problem with a 'trapped nerve'.

Diagnosis :- Physical examination and imaging. Physical exam - the doctor may identify tender spots along the neck and evaluate your ability to move the neck in various directions. The function of the nerves and muscles in the arms and legs may be tested. Imaging - X-rays and MRI studies may be used to show bone spur and other abnormalities and reveal the extent of damage to the cervical spine.

Cause of cervical spondylosis : Pain in the neck region can be caused by a variety of reasons. Different centers in and around the cervical vertebrae are sensitive to pain and problems connected with any of these regions can cause pain. The Periosteum ( The outer layer of the cervical vertebrae ), The anterior and posterior ligaments ( the ligaments which run along the vertebrae and stabilize them ), The facet joints ( the joint formed between the sideward protrusions of the vertebrae ) The para-vertebral muscles are all pain sensitive and any lesions to the above structures are capable of producing pain.

Pain, numbness and lack of sensation in the other areas are produced by problems effecting the nerves that emerge from the cervical region. By far, the most common cause of cervical spondylosis is the spasm of the para-vertebral muscles of the neck. The main causes of these problems are 1) Spondylosis, 2) Herniated inter-vertebral disks, 3) Fibro-myalgia and myo-fascial pain syndromes. Though the three refer to three different entities, they are interrelated and often super-imposed.

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The primary cause is the degenerative changes in the inter-vertebral disc with increasing age. The genetic factors ,metabolic factors ,manual labour are some important factors causing degeneration of the intervertebral discs. Degeneration of the inter-vertebral disc occures secondary to Osteo-arthritis,Rheumatoid arthritis,Metastatic carcinoma or lymphomas,either in the bone or vertebral column or in TB spine. Injuries such as automobile accidents with "Whiplash" injury ,atheletic injury and sudden jerks on the arms during fall down. Outgrowths of bone that sometimes occur with aging.
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With age, osteophytes, or bone spurs form on vertebral bodies, as the bodys way of attempting an increase of the surface area and stabilizing the vertebral joint. Generally not successful in this mission, the bone spurs can become painful as they put pressure on cervical nerves, and in some cases the spinal cord. And may also result in shoulder pain. Homeopathic treatment: Homeopathy has a very promising role in the treatment of cervical spondylosis. The long term results of homeopathy are very encouraging. Homoeopathic treatment of cervical spondylosis is dependant upon an important factor i.e. amounts of degenerative changes that have taken place in the bones and the disk. In other words the extent of damage to your spine will determine the speed at which your problem gets cured and also to what extent you get cured. In cases where there are mild to moderate changes in the cervical spine the cure is much faster and the recovery is very substantial. In advanced cases where multiple disk prolapses have occurred, the recovery will be slow and at times will be limited. Remember homeopathy primarily is symptom based system of medicine. The medicine is determined by ones individual symptoms Along with medication we need to realize the importance of prevention of disease As we get more and more absorbed into modern lifestyle like increased working and prolonged driving hours, sitting in front of computer and television for hours together and sedentary life style, it leads to increased wear and tear in our neck muscles and spine. This is what further

predisposes us to early and rapid changes in our bones and vertebrae. Thus lifestyle modifications are the first step in preventing the further degeneration and an early onset of cervical spondylosis.

Exercise your neck and keep active. Aim to keep your neck moving as normally as possible. As far as possible, continue with normal activities. In the past, some people have worn a neck collar for long periods when a flare-up of neck pain developed. It is now known that if you wear a collar for long periods it may cause the neck to 'stiffen up'. So, try to keep your neck as active as possible. Professionals who spend hours doing desk work or in front off the computers should take small breaks in between and try and do simple neck exercises Some of those neck pains and stiffness which does not improve inspite of exercise and medication are most certainly due to stress. When a person is in constant stress the muscles in the neck goes into spasm and causes pain and stiffness in the neck so it is very important for the doctor to identify the cause and treat it accordingly.

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