Typology and clinical manifestations of cervical spondylosis

       Cervical spondylosis is mainly divided into the following types: localized cervical spondylosis: also called cervical type, the main symptoms are occipital neck pain, restricted neck movement and stiff neck muscles, this type is mainly treated by non-surgical treatment, the main treatment methods are oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers, muscle relaxants, bed rest, wearing a neck brace, various physical therapy, etc.  Nerve root type cervical spondylosis: It is the most common type of cervical spondylosis with the highest incidence among all types of cervical spondylosis. The main symptoms are neck pain and neck stiffness, shoulder pain and pain at the inner edge of the scapula, and most importantly, pain radiating from the upper limbs, that is, nerve root type pain.  This type of cervical spondylosis is mainly treated with non-surgical treatment, including drugs to reduce nerve root edema, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers, muscle relaxants, bed rest, wearing a neck brace, traction, and various physical therapy.  However, if the pain obviously affects the rest and daily workers and the effect of conservative treatment is not satisfactory, minimally invasive treatment or surgery can be used, but minimally invasive treatment is mainly applicable to young and middle-aged patients without obvious narrowing of the spinal space.  Spinal cord type cervical spondylosis: The main symptoms are numbness and inflexibility of both hands, clumsy hand movements, failure of small movements, such as inability to thread a needle, write, tie a button and other fine movements, slowing down of hand clenching, etc. The symptoms of lower limbs include weakness of both lower limbs, tightness of both legs, heavy feeling of lifting, etc. Some of them are easy to fall, and the feeling of stepping on cotton in both feet, etc. Some of them also have the feeling of binding in the chest and abdomen, and in heavy cases, walking difficulties can occur. This kind of cervical spondylosis can be without neck discomfort. The most important thing to note is that this type of cervical spondylosis is the most harmful and the main treatment method is surgery.  Vertebral artery cervical spondylosis and sympathetic cervical spondylosis: These two types of cervical spondylosis are still controversial, mainly characterized by many symptoms and few signs, and few specific tests for diagnosis.  Mixed cervical spondylosis: Mixed cervical spondylosis has the characteristics of several types of cervical spondylosis, such as spinal cord type and neurogenic cervical spondylosis at the same time, spinal cord type cervical spondylosis combined with dizziness, etc.