Cervical Spondylosis – Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, And Treatment
What is cervical spondylosis?
Cervical spondylosis is an age-related wear and tear of spinal discs of cervical vertebrae. It is a common cause of chronic neck pain.
What causes cervical spondylosis?
Cervical spondylosis is caused by aging and chronic wear and tear of the cervical spine. This condition involves the discs (cushions between the vertebrae) and joints between the bones of the cervical spine. There may be abnormal growths or spurs on the bones of the spine (vertebrae).
Daily wear and tear cause these changes. People who are very active in physical work or sports are more likely to have disc problems. Over a period of time, these changes can press down on the nerve roots, affecting the spinal cord.
Aging is the major risk factor for cervical spondylosis. By age 60, most people show signs of cervical spondylosis on x-ray.
The following are the other factors that can increase the risk for spondylosis:
- Being overweight and not exercising
- Doing physical work involving heavy lifting, bending, and twisting
- Past neck injury
- Past spine surgery
- Ruptured or slipped disc
- Severe arthritis of the spine
What are the symptoms of cervical spondylosis?
Mostly, symptoms of cervical spondylosis develop slowly over time. But they can start suddenly and get worse. Pain is the main symptom, which can be mild, or it can be deep and so severe that you are unable to move. The pain may start over the shoulder blade and may spread to the upper arm and forearm.
The pain tends to get worse:
- After standing or sitting
- At night
- When sneezing, coughing, or laughing
- When you bend the neck backward
- When you walk more than a few yards
The following are the other common symptoms:
- Neck stiffness that gets worse over time
- Muscle weakness in the arms
- Numbness or abnormal sensations in the shoulders or arms
- Headaches, especially in the back of the head
- Pain on the inside of the shoulder blade and shoulder pain
The following are the less common symptoms:
- Pain or numbness in the legs
- Problems with balance
- Loss of control over the bladder or bowels (if there is pressure on the spinal cord)
How is cervical spondylosis diagnosed?
Your doctor will perform a physical exam and review the symptoms. The physical exam may reveal stiff neck, which makes it difficult to move your head toward your shoulder and rotating your head. The doctor may ask you to bend your head forward and to sides while putting slight downward pressure on the top of your head. Increased pain or numbness during this test is usually a sign that there is pressure on a nerve in your spine.
If the test reveals the weakness of your shoulders and arms or loss of feeling, these can be signs of damage to certain nerve roots or to the spinal cord. The doctor may order a spine or neck x-ray to look for arthritis or other changes in your spine.
The doctor may order MRI or CT scans of the neck if you have:
- Ongoing severe neck or arm pain despite treatment
- Weakness or numbness in your arms or hands
The doctor may also do EMG and nerve conduction study to examine nerve root function.
How is cervical spondylosis treated?
Generally, treatment consists of self-care and pain medications. Mostly, no specific treatment is required. If symptoms bother you, your doctor will recommend appropriate treatment.
Your doctor may recommend one or more of the following:
- Cold packs and heat therapy to help with your pain during flare-ups.
- Physical therapy to help you reduce your pain. The physical therapist will show and teach you exercises that make your neck muscles stronger. The therapist may also use neck traction to relieve some of the pressure on your neck.
- Your doctor may also recommend cognitive behavioral therapy. This is a form of talk therapy, which can help you better understand your pain and teaches you how to manage it. This may help if the pain is having a serious impact on your life.
- Your doctor may prescribe nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs) for long-term pain control. He/she may also prescribe opioids if the pain is severe and does not respond to NSAIDs.
- If the pain does not respond to these treatments, or you have a loss of movement or feeling, your doctor may recommend surgery. Surgery may help relieve the pressure on the nerves or spinal cord.
This feature is for informational purposes only and is not intended to substitute the expert guidance of a doctor. We advise seeing a doctor if you have any health concerns.