Spondylosis of the cervical spine is a pathology that is associated with changes in the main vertebral structures, including articular surfaces and tendons, bone and cartilage. In most cases, such deformations are associated with a person’s age. Statistics show that most often people of retirement age suffer from this ailment.
Cervical spondylosis and its causes
As already mentioned, the main reason in this case is age, since during the aging process the tissues of the intervertebral discs gradually thin out. In addition, sedentary work and lack of physical activity can be attributed to risk factors.
Often, spondylosis of the cervical spine is diagnosed among professional athletes. Flatfoot may also be the reason, since deformation of the feet violates the normal redistribution of weight on the spine, which increases the load on the cervical spine.
In some cases, the deformation of the vertebrae and discs occurs against the background of progressive osteochondrosis.
Spondylosis of the cervical spine and its symptoms
In the process of the development of the disease, a change in the cartilage and bone structures occurs. In particular, rather large growths can form on the vertebrae. Such neoplasms represent a danger, since nerve roots and spinal cord are often squeezed.
But since deformation occurs gradually, the clinical picture may be somewhat blurry. Some patients complain of stiffness and soreness when turning the neck - such sensations are most pronounced in the morning and gradually disappear during the day. Often sick people cannot fall asleep due to discomfort or wake up at night from pain in the cervical spine.
Spondylosis of the cervical spine is an extremely dangerous disease. Firstly, it increases the risk of developing intervertebral hernia. Secondly, bone growths often squeeze blood vessels, which leads to the appearance of severe headaches, pressure drops and hypoxia. If the nerve roots are compressed, then other symptoms may appear, for example, numbness of the upper or lower extremities.
In the most severe cases, the pain is severe and practically does not disappear, which, of course, affects the patient's quality of life, leads to nervous disorders and exhaustion.
Treatment of spondylosis of the cervical spine
In fact, such a disease is difficult to treat. Therefore, it is worth preparing for the fact that the therapy will be long. To begin with, the doctor prescribes anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs that alleviate the main symptoms and prevent further complications.
Extremely important is regular therapeutic exercises. In sedentary work, regular breaks and exercises are simply necessary, as this is the only way to avoid further deformation of the spine. In addition, physiotherapy, acupuncture, manual therapy, massages and even laser correction are used in the treatment. In some cases, experts recommend the temporary use of special corsets that redistribute the load on the spine. And, of course, you need to choose the right mattress and pillow.
Such therapy helps to eliminate the main symptoms and discomfort, as well as to avoid serious complications.