Cervical spondylosis

Cervical spondylosis

Cervical spondylosis is a type of 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.

When this happens, the cartilage that lines the vertebrae on all sides of the disc, where they touch, can wear away. Once this protective cartilage is gone, spurs may develop on your vertebrae where they rub together. Nerves attached to your spinal cord may have less room to pass between the vertebrae on their way out of the spine.

Facts about cervical spondylosis

This condition becomes more common with age. Many, however, do not have symptoms—you might not even be aware that these changes are occurring in your neck.

Cervical spondylosis usually doesn’t cause disability. But sometimes these changes within the spine can cause the spinal cord or nerve roots attached to it to become compressed. this will cause your legs or hands to feel weak or clumsy.

Symptoms of cervical spondylosis

Symptoms of cervical spondylosis can include:

  • Pain in the neck which will travel your arms or shoulders
  • Headaches
  • A grinding feeling once you move your neck
  • Weakness in your arms and legs
  • Numbness in your shoulders, arms, or hands
  • Stiffness within the neck
  • Trouble keeping your balance
  • Trouble controlling your bladder or bowels

Diagnosis

Imaging tests. X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans all provide images of the structures in your spine for the doctor to envision. These can show the bones, disks, muscles, and nerves in and around your neck, also as your spinal cord.

A physical examination is required to check if you’ve got this condition. you’ll probably discuss any neck injuries you’ve had and describe your symptoms. The neuro doctor/neuro consultant will probably check your neck, shoulders, arms, and legs to examine how well they’re working. Other tests that will help make a diagnosis include:

X-ray of Cervical Spine after Implant Fixation Cervical spondylosis
X-ray of Cervical Spine after Implant Fixation from Dr. Pranav Ghodgaonkar

Myelography. During this test, the doctor injects a dye into the fluid around your spinal cord and then does a CT scan to ascertain 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 from Dr Pranav Ghodgaonkar

Compressive Cervical Myelopathy
Compressive Cervical Myelopathy

There are variety of treatments for pain relief from cervical spondylosis, looking on your needs. These may include:

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

Physical therapy. A physiotherapist can teach you stretching and strengthening exercises which will ease symptoms.

Ice or heat. Cool your neck with an ice pack or heat it with a warming pad as directed by your doctor or physiotherapist .

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 doctor can inject steroid medicine and pain-relieving drugs into the painful joint in your neck or into the space next to your spinal cord.

Surgery. In most cases, surgery isn’t needed. But surgeons can do different procedures to alleviate pressure on the spinal cord or the nerves leaving your spine, if necessary. A surgeon can remove bone from around the opening that permits the nerve to exit the spine or bone from other parts of the vertebrae. He or she can also fuse bones within the spine after 1 of those procedures. If you’ve got surgery, an anesthesia provider will put you to sleep beforehand so you do not feel it.

Prevention

You may not be ready to prevent cervical spondylosis, but these steps may reduce your risk:

  • Stay physically active.
  • Use good posture.
  • Prevent neck injuries by always using the proper equipment and therefore the right form when exercising or playing sports.
  • Avoid trauma to your neck
  • Managing cervical spondylosis

If you feel any of the above symptoms you can discuss with Dr. Pranav Ghodgaonkar, one of the best neurosurgeon in Indore, about the problem and get the best treatment for the cervical spondylosis

Multilevel cervical implant
Multilevel cervical implant
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