Cervical Spondylosis Neck Pain

Neck pain is a common illness from which almost all of us suffer at least once in a lifetime. We often hear complains of neck pain from our colleagues, friends, relatives, etc. in our daily life. Neck pain has been known by a medical term "cervical spondylosis". This mainly occurs due to the degeneration of joints in our neck. As we grow older the bones in our body starts degenerating and that's why cervical spondylosis is common in people with over 60 years of age. Cervical spondylosis is basically a form of arthritis, but it rarely leads to disability.

Cervical spondylosis results more in women than in men. There is no specific cause of neck pain known, until now, but it occurs due to one or more disorders or diseases that exist in the structures of the neck. As we grow with time, vertebrae and discs develop some degree of degeneration that affects the closely located nerves, muscles, and ligaments. These body structures due to irritation tend to develop pain that results in cervical spondylosis. Cervical spine is made of circular bones (vertebrae) that lie in regular pattern one above the other. Each vertebra is separated from other through an intervertebral disc that acts as a shock absorber and provides flexibility to spine. Nerves extend from the spinal cord, passes from the vertebrae, to shoulders, neck, arm, and upper chest. Thus, the degradation in vertebrae eventually leads to pain in interconnected nerves and muscles.

Causes:

Cervical spondylosis mainly results due to chronic wear on the cervical spines. Everyday wear and tear may start degradation of these vertebrae. People who are very active in work or in sports may be more likely to have cervical spondylosis. The causes of neck pain may vary from one person to the other, but some common causes are:

• Injury, muscle problem, or trapped nerve in between vertebrae.
• Wrong postures while sitting or sleeping
• Malfunctioning of small joints present in the neck
• Hypertension, hyper-flexion may also result in neck pain
• Travelling, household activities, and office jobs

Risk Factors:

The major risk of cervical spondylosis is aging. People having age above 60 are at more risk. Other risk factors include:

• Overweight and less physically active
• Doing a job that includes pulling heavy weight and that involve excessive movement of muscles.
• Injury of the neck in late past
• Spinal cord injury in recent past
• Disease such as Osteoporosis or Arthritis

Symptoms:

Symptoms of cervical spondylosis may differ individually and can vary from mild to serious. Some usual symptoms that indicate cervical spondylosis are:

• Pain in neck and shoulders
• Difficulty in movement of neck and head
• Neck stiffness, especially when you wake in the morning
• Frequent headaches, especially in the back of the head
• Numbness or weakness in the shoulder and arms

Treatment:
One can prevent the pain by adopting a better lifestyle, correct sitting postures, and exercising. However, treatment of cervical spondylosis includes:

1) Non Pharmacological Treatments

• Physical therapy by using stretches
• Massage therapy by using acupuncture
• Cold pack and heat therapy to alleviate neck pain
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: If pain is severe and has impact on quality of life. This technique is also called as talk therapy which helps to understand the cause and measures to prevent pain

2) Pharmacological Treatments:
The drugs Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs) such as Aspirin, Ibuprofen can help to relieve from pain. If the pain is severe, kindly consult to the doctor.

Preventive Measures:

• Prevent from cold exposure and violent exercise
• Maintain comfortable posture while sitting or doing daily activities