The term "cervical spondylosis" refers to age-related wear and tear of the spinal discs in your neck. Osteoarthritis symptoms include bony projections along the edges of bones as the discs dehydrate and shrink (bone spurs).
Cervical spondylosis is a common condition that gets worse with age. Cervical spondylosis affects more than 85 percent of people over the age of 60.
The majority of people have no symptoms as a result of these issues. When symptoms do arise, nonsurgical treatments are frequently successful.
Symptoms
Cervical spondylosis has no symptoms in the majority of people. When symptoms do appear, they are typically accompanied by neck pain and stiffness.
Cervical spondylosis can sometimes cause a narrowing of the space required by the spinal cord and the nerve roots that run through the spine to the rest of your body. If the spinal cord or nerve roots are pinched, you may experience the following symptoms:
Arm, hand, leg, or foot tingling, numbness, or weakness
Instability to walk and lack of coordination
Inability to control one's bladder or bowels
Causes
Disks that have been dehydrated.
Disks act as cushions between your spine's vertebrae. Most people's spinal discs begin to dry out and shrink by the age of 40, allowing for more bone-on-bone contact between the vertebrae.
Disk herniation
The exterior of your spinal discs is also affected by age. Cracks frequently appear, resulting in bulging (herniated) discs, which can sometimes press on the spinal cord and nerve roots.
Spurs of bone
Disk degeneration frequently causes the spine to produce excessive amounts of bone in an erroneous attempt to strengthen the spine. These bone spurs can occasionally encircle the spinal cord and nerve roots.
Stiff ligaments.
Ligaments are tissue cords that connect bones. With age, spinal ligaments stiffen, making your neck less flexible.
Risk factors
Age.
Cervical spondylosis is a natural part of the aging process.
Occupation.
Jobs that require repetitive neck motions, awkward positioning, or a lot of overhead workplace additional strain on your neck.
Neck injuries.
Previous neck injuries appear to increase the likelihood of developing cervical spondylosis.
Genetic history.
Some people in certain families will experience more of these changes over time than others.
Smoking.
Cigarette smoking has been linked to an increase in neck pain.
Comments