The most common signs and symptoms are neck pain and stiffness that get worse with activity. X-rays show bone spurs that may be narrowing the spinal cord. MRI or CT scans show how much the spinal cord is compressed and which nerve roots are affected.
You can often manage your symptoms with nonsurgical treatment. This includes physical therapy to stretch the neck muscles and strengthen them. You can also try wearing a soft neck collar or taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Symptoms
Cervical spondylosis is a condition that causes deterioration of the vertebrae, discs and ligaments in the neck or cervical spine. The cervical spine is a series of seven bones, or vertebrae, that form your neck. As you age, these vertebrae begin to develop cracks in the outer edges of the disks. Then the insides of these discs start to break down, and you can get herniated disks that put pressure on spinal nerves. This condition is most common in middle-aged and older people.
The most common symptoms of cervical spondylosis are pain and stiffness in the neck. The neck pain may come and go, and the symptoms can be made worse by activities such as looking up or down for long periods of time. The pain can also be made worse by doing repetitive motions, such as typing or driving. Usually, the pain improves with rest or lying down.
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This condition can lead to numbness or weakness in your arms, legs and hands. This happens because the compression of spinal nerves by bone spurs and other abnormalities can cause these symptoms. The symptoms can be more severe when the spinal cord or nerve roots are compressed. This is called cervical myelopathy or cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM).
When CSM occurs, you can experience numbness or weakness in the arms and legs, problems with balance or gait, loss of muscle coordination, and bladder or bowel dysfunction. This can lead to a variety of different health problems, including a decreased quality of life.
Your doctor will diagnose this condition by asking you a series of questions and running through a set of exams. They will look for signs of cervical spondylosis, such as spinal fluid leakage or bone spurs. They will also check your neck for flexibility and strength. They might order imaging tests, such as X-rays or an MRI, to see the bones, discs and nerves in your neck. They might also order a test called myelography, in which they inject dye into your spinal cord to see how the disks and bone spurs affect your nerve function.
Diagnosis
Cervical spondylosis happens when ageing causes wear and tear to the bones in your neck. It often occurs in the seven small bones, called vertebrae, that make up the neck (cervical spine). These bones are separated by soft cushions of tissue, called discs, which act as shock absorbers and allow the spinal cord to bend. This condition can cause bone spurs to press against nerves or the spinal cord, which may result in pain, tingling and weakness. It can also lead to a narrowing of the spinal canal, a condition called cervical myelopathy.
The most common symptom is neck pain. This pain may radiate down the arm or into the chest. It may get worse or come and go, and it may affect your ability to do your usual activities. If you have symptoms, talk to your health care provider.
Your doctor will ask you about your past symptoms and do a physical exam. He or she will look at your neck for signs of spondylosis, like stiffness and swelling. Then your doctor will have you lie down while he or she centers an X-ray machine over your neck area to see the alignment of the bones in your neck. X-rays can show if there are any bone spurs causing narrowing of the spinal canal, which is a complication of this condition.
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Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans produce clearer pictures of your spinal cord, nerves and discs than X-rays. Your doctor may order an MRI to determine whether your symptoms are caused by herniated disks or other soft tissues in your neck. Computerized tomography (CT) scans are sometimes used to help find bone spurs in your neck and to rule out other possible causes of your symptoms, such as a spinal fracture.
These tests may show that your spine is curved or misshapen, but they won’t tell you why you have these changes. These tests can also help your doctor decide what treatment is right for you.
You can help prevent cervical spondylosis by using good body mechanics when you do high-risk activities, such as heavy lifting and repeated movements of your neck. It is also important to wear a seat belt when you drive and maintain a healthy weight.
Treatment
The cervical spine is made up of seven small bones called vertebrae that form your neck. Each of these vertebrae is connected to the next by a spinal canal and protects your spinal cord. Your spinal cord carries electrical messages from your brain to your muscles. The spinal nerves exit the spinal cord through openings called vertebral foramen (see image below). In between each of your vertebrae are flexible disks that act as cushioning. With age, these discs can degenerate. As they do, they lose their height and may bulge out. Over time, this can lead to a condition known as Cervical Spondylosis.
Degenerative changes to the spine are very common and occur in everyone as they get older. In many people, these changes don’t cause pain or disability and go away on their own over time. But in some cases, the vertebrae rub together or they develop bone spurs that can press on the spinal cord or the nerve roots it sends out from the spine. When this happens, you can experience pain and weakness in your arms and hands. This condition is called cervical spondylotic myelopathy or CSM.
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If you have symptomatic cervical spondylosis, your doctor will first try conservative treatments. These include non-steroidal or steroid anti-inflammatory medications to control your pain. Your physician may also suggest heat or ice to ease your pain and loosen tight neck muscles. Exercise to keep your neck limber and weight loss to take pressure off your spine can also be helpful.
If these conservative treatments don’t relieve your symptoms, your spine specialist may recommend surgery. The goal of surgery is to remove the part of your vertebrae or soft tissue that’s causing pressure on the spinal cord and nerves. Your surgeon will probably perform a minimally invasive procedure called endoscopic spine surgery. This type of surgery has less risk of complications and a shorter recovery time than traditional open spine surgery.
At Ortho Sport & Spine Physicians, we are leaders in the latest minimally invasive spine surgery techniques. If you have severe or disabling symptoms of cervical spondylotic myelopathy, we can help you find relief with the least amount of discomfort and downtime.
Prevention
There is no cure for cervical spondylosis, but proper management can significantly reduce or eliminate symptoms. Taking precautions, avoiding triggers, and adopting healthy lifestyle habits can help individuals minimize pain, maintain mobility, and live fulfilling lives.
Our spine is made up of three regions. The neck area has seven vertebrae called Cervical Spine, the upper and mid back has 12 vertebrae called Thoracic Spine and the lower back has five vertebrae called Lumbar Spine. The cervical spondylosis is caused by the breakdown of spinal discs that act as cushions between the vertebrae, creating bone-on-bone contact and causing narrowing of the spinal canal leading to pressure on spinal nerves causing neck pain, stiffness, and sometimes numbness or weakness in arms or hands.
Aging is the main cause of cervical spondylosis but other factors can contribute to its development as well. Having a sedentary lifestyle, working in professions that involve repetitive neck movements or prolonged strain on the neck, and a history of previous neck injuries may increase the risk of developing this condition. Smoking can also dehydrate the spine and speed up the deterioration of spinal discs, making them more susceptible to compression.
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The early degenerative changes that lead to spondylosis can be prevented by practicing good posture throughout the day, using ergonomic furniture at home and at work, regularly stretching and exercising the neck muscles, and not overworking the neck. Maintaining a healthy body weight can also prevent excessive strain on the spine. If left untreated, cervical spondylosis can lead to herniated or bulging spinal discs, which create more bone-on-bone contact and compress the spinal cord and nerve roots. This is known as cervical stenosis.
If you have neck pain, stiffness, or numbness and weakness in your arms or hands, see your GP for assessment and treatment. They will examine your neck and shoulders, and depending on the severity of your symptoms, they may need to carry out other tests such as X-rays or scans. If a radiculopathy, a medical condition associated with cervical spondylosis, develops, it is recommended that you consult a specialist orthopaedic surgeon or neurologist.
