Cervical spondylosis
Cervical spondylosis is caused by age-related wear that affects the spine.
The spine is made up of:
As you get older, the discs tend to dry out and become susceptible to damage. Your body will also try to compensate for the wearing of the joints by producing small lumps of extra bone to better support your neck and stiffen the spine. These lumps of extra bone are known as bone spurs or osteophytes.
Osteophytes can cause the spine to become too rigid, leading to stiffness and neck pain. The changes in bone structure can also squash nearby nerves and the spinal cord. This tends to be more common in older people.
Apart from age, there are several other risk factors that may increase the chance of developing cervical spondylitis. These include:
A slipped disc, alsoknown asa prolapsed or herniated disc,is when one of the discsthat sit between the bones of the spine (the verterbrae) is damaged and presses on the nerves that come out from the spine.
If this soft material pressesagainst a nerve in the neck, it can causesevere pain radiating to the arm (cervical radiculopathy), and can occasionally result in compression of the spinal cord (cervical myelopathy).
Slipped discs aregenerally seen in younger people and are not as common as the process of osteophyte formation described above.
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There is some evidence that people who spend a lot of time carrying heavy weights on their head have an increased risk of developing cervical spondylosis.
For example, a study found that rates of cervical spondylosis were much higher than average in Ghanaians, as in Ghana there is a common practice of transporting heavy loads in this manner.
Cervical spondylosis is the medical term for neck pain caused by age-related wear and tear to bones and tissues.
Symptoms of cervical spondylosis include neck pain and shoulder pain. The pain can be severe if you develop cervical radiculopathy or cervical myelopathy.
To better understand the causes of cervical spondylosis, it is useful to know more about the structure of your spine.
Cervical spondylosis is usually suspected if there are typical symptoms of neck pain and stiffness. It will also be considered as a cause of radiating arm pain, problems with use of the hands or difficulty walking.
Treatment for symptoms due to cervical spondylosis aims to relieve pain and prevent permanent damage to your nerves.