What is Cervical Spondylosis ?

Read about Cervical Spondylosis  Disease presented in simple easy to understand language

Gender: Men develop arthritis of the neck more often than pre-menopausal women, with the incidence rising in women after menopause.

Injury: Prior neck injury can predispose a person developing cervical spondylosis. 

Cervical spondylosis is diagnosed by taking into account the patient’s medical history, physical examination reports as well as the symptoms reported by the patient. The doctor will look for range of motion, tenderness or swelling in the neck. Changes indicating bony spurs and other abnormalities may be shown in X-rays and MRIs in case of further evaluations. Additional tests and other evaluations by a neurologist may be ordered by your doctor before making a diagnosis.
Each patient is treated differently for cervical spondylosis depending on their individual condition. In the early stages lifestyle modifications or medicines are used for treatment and surgery is needed only if these measures are ineffective. 

Some of the ways of Treating Cervical Spondylosis are
Rest: Modifying the way you rest your neck. General posture of sleeping as well as the pillows used may need to be reconsidered.

Physical therapy: This may involve gentle neck strengthening exercises to prevent further atrophy and maintain function of the neck.

Cold compresses: Symptoms may be relieved by using these on the affected area two or three times a day.

Other treatments: Whirlpool treatments or ultrasound and massages may also help.

Medication: Using NSAIDs or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications such as asprin, acetaminophen or ibuprofen to relieve pain and decrease inflammation.

Injections: More powerful steroid epidurals can also be injected directly into the affected area to provide relief.
In more severe cases surgical methods are advised to improve pain and increase motion. Various options for surgery should be discussed by consulting with an orthopedic surgeon. Read Previous