Cervical Spondylosis, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions

This book describes Cervical Spondylosis, Diagnosis and Treatment and Related DiseasesCervical spondylosis indicates the natural degenerative process of the cervical motion segment (intervertebral disc and facets C5-6, C6-7) often causes the medical disorders of1. Cervical radiculopathy2. Cervical myelopathy3. Discogenic neck painCervical Spondylosis is caused by aging. Unfortunately there is no cure for agingCervical Spondylosis is a degenerative disease of the joints of the cervical spine (neck), producing pain in the neck and nerve root irritation.
Every one can get Cervical Spondylosis. Cervical spondylosis is a frequent, age-related disorder that involves the joints and discs in the cervical spine, which is in the neck. It is also termed cervical osteoarthritis or neck arthritis. It forms from the wear and tear of cartilage and bones. While it is largely the consequence of age, it can be caused by other factors as well. Some people who have it never feel symptoms.
For others, it can produce chronic, severe pain and stiffness. Many people who have it are able to perform normal daily activities. The disorder is evident in more than 90 percent of people aged 60 and older. The age of start is normally in the late 40 or early 50's. It happen also more frequently in men than women. Occurrence in the lower cervical spine is worst. As the disk in the spine ages, it loses height and starts to bulge.
The disk also loses water content, starts to dry out and weakens. This disorder produces settling or collapse of the disk spaces and loss of disk space height. As the facet joints feel greater pressure, they also start to degenerate and develop arthritis, similar to what may happen in the hip or knee joint. The smooth, slippery articular cartilage that envelops and protects the joints wears away. If the cartilage becomes worn completely, it can cause the bone rubbing on bone.
To replace the lost cartilage, the body may react by growing new bone in the facet joints to help support the vertebrae. Over time, this bone overgrowth termed bone spurs may narrow the opening for the nerves and spinal cord to pass through (stenosis)Risk FactorsAging is the most frequent risk factor for cervical spondylosis. The disorder is very frequent in patients who are middle-aged and older.
Other factors that may raise the risk for developing cervical spondylosis and neck pain are:1. Genetics-a family history of neck pain and spondylosis2. Smoking-clearly linked to increased neck pain2. Occupation-jobs with lots of repetitive neck motion and overhead work4. Depression or anxiety5. Previous injury or trauma to the neckPossible causes of the disorder are:1. Bone spursThese overgrowths of bone are the effect of the body trying to grow extra bone to make the spine stronger.
The extra bone can compress on delicate regions of the spine, such as the spinal cord and nerves, causing pain.2. Dehydrated spinal discsThe spinal vertebra bones have discs between them which are thick, pad-like cushions that absorb the weight of lifting, twisting and other activities. The gel-like material inside these discs can become dry over time. This induces the bones (spinal vertebrae) to rub together more, which can be painful.3.
Herniated discsSpinal discs can form cracks, which permit leakage of the internal cushioning material. This material can compress on the spinal cord and nerves, causing symptoms such as arm numbness and pain that radiates down an arm.4. InjuryTrauma and injury such as whiplash injury, head injuries damage the the neck vertebraTABLE OF CONTENTIntroductionCha...