1.What are the manifestations of cervical spondylosis?
Cervical spondylosis is one of the common diseases among middle-aged and elderly people, which mainly manifests as follows
(1) Soreness and discomfort in the neck, pain and numbness, and even neck and shoulder pain radiating to the arm.
(2) Dizziness, headache, dizziness and discomfort, and the aggravation of dizziness when the cervical spine moves to a specific position.
(3) Weakness in the hands and feet, weakness in walking on both feet, unstable walking, inability to hold a pen in both hands to write, finding that one’s writing is not as good as before, or even paralysis. As the pace of life accelerates, people’s work pressure increases and outdoor exercise decreases, the incidence of cervical spondylosis is on the rise, and there is a trend of rejuvenation.
2.Is it cervical spondylosis if I often feel soreness and weakness in my neck?
Not necessarily, it is necessary to go through an examination to diagnose cervical spondylosis. It is not good to say that you are suffering from cervical spondylosis just by a little complaint.
3.What tests are needed to check whether I have cervical spondylosis?
(1) X-ray: This is a routine examination for cervical and lumbar spine patients. Generally, orthogonal, lateral and lateral films of the neck in forward flexion and back extension are taken. Orthopantomographs may show narrowing of the vertebral space, osteophytes of the hook vertebral joint and thickening of the vertebral arch. Lateral radiographs may reveal loss of physiological anterior protrusion of the cervical spine, formation of bone lips at the anterior and posterior edges of the vertebral body, narrowing of the intervertebral space and spinal canal stenosis.
(2) CT examination: It can clearly show the bony flab at the anterior and posterior edges of the vertebral body, the site and degree of compression of the dural sac, spinal cord and nerve roots, and measure the anterior and posterior diameters and transverse diameters of the spinal canal, and also understand whether the intervertebral foramen and transverse foramen are narrow and whether the vertebral plate is hypertrophic.
(3) magnetic co-F: can clearly show the posterior protrusion of intervertebral disc tissue, compression of the dural sac and spinal cord, as well as the presence or absence of venous return obstruction, the presence or absence of cystic changes in the local spinal cord under pressure.
4.Does neck and back pain mean cervical spondylosis?
No. After middle age, the degeneration of cervical intervertebral disc aggravates and can cause the adjacent nerves, blood vessels and spinal cord to be compressed, resulting in intricate and variable symptoms, which is cervical spondylosis. Clinically, 4-5, 5-6 and 6-7 cervical disc degeneration occurs earliest and most often.
5.Is vertigo cervical spondylosis?
Some people think that vertigo is cervical spondylosis. In fact, cervical spondylosis is only one of the diseases that cause vertigo, in addition to six other major categories.
(1) Atherosclerosis.
(2) Insufficient blood supply to the pushing veins, such as the pushing pulse type of cervical spondylosis.
(3) Diastolic dysfunction of the basilar artery, such as basilar artery migraine.
(4) Malformation or abnormal development of the vertebrobasilar artery.
(5) Subclavian artery steal syndrome.
(6) Endarteritis, polyarteritis, carotid arteritis, connective tissue disease, etc. It can be seen that there are various causes of vertigo, not only cervical spondylosis, but also only vertebral artery type and sympathetic nerve type of cervical spondylosis can cause vertigo.
6.I have been feeling unstable walking lately, is this cervical spondylosis?
It is possible that it is. One type of cervical spondylosis is the spinal cord type: about 20% of patients have this type. When osteophytes or thickened or ossified ligaments occur, they can compress the spinal cord and blood vessels and even cause ischemia or necrosis of the spinal cord. Most of them develop after middle age in a “recessive” form, and the early clinical stage is unilateral or bilateral numbness of lower limbs and the feeling of being tightened by a belt in the chest, which later develops into difficulty in walking and urinary and fecal dysfunction or even paralysis.
7.When there is any condition, should we further rule out whether we have cervical spondylosis?
(1) Difficulty in swallowing. Some elderly people start to feel itching and foreign body sensation in the throat, and then feel difficulty in swallowing, with intermittent episodes, sometimes light and sometimes heavy. The patient was suspected of having esophageal cancer, but the gastroscopy was normal. Later, a CT scan showed cervical spondylosis.
(2) Hypertension. Cervical spondylosis can cause an increase or decrease in blood pressure, but the former is more common and is called cervical hypertension. This is associated with sympathetic nerve stimulation by the bone. Patients often have typical manifestations such as neck pain, tightness, and numbness in the upper extremities.
(3) Breast pain. Breast pain is caused by compression of the nerve roots of the 6th and 7th cervical vertebrae by the hyperplastic bone. It starts with pain in one breast or pectoralis major muscle, intermittent vague pain or paroxysmal stabbing pain, most obvious when turning the head to one side, and sometimes the pain is unbearable. This pain has been misdiagnosed as angina pectoris or pleurisy.
(4) Lower limb paralysis or defecation disorder. Lower extremity paralysis or defecation disorders are caused by irritation of the lateral tracts of the spinal cord. Patients with upper limb numbness, pain and weakness, limping, and most of the symptoms in the neck are mild and easily masked. Some are accompanied by urinary frequency, urinary urgency, urinary incontinence or urinary and fecal incontinence.
(5) Visual impairment. Cervical spondylosis may also manifest as decreased vision, intermittent blurred vision, swelling and pain in one or both eyes, photophobia, tearing, and narrowed visual field. This visual impairment is related to the plant nerve dysfunction caused by cervical spondylosis.
(6) Sudden fall. Sudden falls are caused by the compression of the vertebral artery by hyperplastic bone and are easily misdiagnosed as cerebral arteriosclerosis or cerebellar disorders. The body often loses support and falls suddenly when the head is suddenly turned during walking, and then wakes up and stands up after the fall due to the change of neck position.
8.What occupations are susceptible to cervical spondylosis?
Chronic strain injury is the most common cause of cervical spondylosis. Some occupations, especially those engaged in long-term accounting, securities, IT, teaching and writing work, as well as those working on assembly lines, are prone to chronic strain injury due to long-term head bowing or head tilting. Of course, whether or not to get sick, but also with each person’s physical condition and tolerance level. The cervical spine is in a flexed position or some specific position for a long time, not only to make the pressure in the cervical intervertebral disc increased, but also to make the neck muscles in a long-term uncoordinated stress state, the back of the neck muscles and ligaments are susceptible to strain strain, are easy to occur cervical spondylosis.
9.How do I know if I have cervical spondylosis?
Any one of the following is an indication of cervical spondylosis.
(1) Pain in the back of the neck, which can be relieved by pulling the head and neck upward by hand, but aggravated by putting pressure downward.
(2) Neck pain accompanied by radiating pain or numbness in the upper extremities (including the hands) (mostly neurogenic cervical spondylosis).
(3) Rotation of the head and neck to the left and right when the eyes are closed, causing migraine or vertigo (mostly vertebral artery cervical spondylosis).
(4) Neck pain accompanied by muscle weakness and muscle pain in the upper or lower extremities (mostly spinal cord cervical spondylosis or combined cervical spinal stenosis).
(5) When the head is lowered, the whole body suddenly becomes numb or has an “electric shock” feeling.
10.Is frequent vertigo, headache and tinnitus a case of cervical spondylosis?
Most of them are not. One type of cervical spondylosis is vertebral artery cervical spondylosis: it accounts for only 2%. It is a series of symptoms caused by the dysfunction of the vertebral artery due to external compression or stimulation, resulting in insufficient blood supply to the brain. More than half of the patients have a sudden onset of the disease, which can be asymptomatic and without any warning, but when the neck is turned in a certain direction, vertigo appears immediately and even dizziness is felt. Sometimes it is accompanied by headache, nausea and vomiting, tinnitus and blurred vision.
11.Does all cervical spondylosis require surgery?
No, it is not. Usually spinal cord cervical spondylosis is best treated with surgery within 6 months of the onset of the disease because the spinal cord is prone to irreversible damage if it is compressed for too long. Conservative treatment for neurogenic cervical spondylosis is often ineffective, and surgery is easily performed as early as possible.
12.Is surgery for cervical spondylosis risky?
Generally speaking, it is risky, but the risk rate can be reduced for experienced orthopedic surgeons. In the anterior cervical surgery at Long March Hospital, the intraoperative bleeding is about 100ml and the operation time is about 1 hour.
13.I have been feeling uncomfortable in my neck recently, is this condition cervical spondylosis?
It is possible that it is. One type of cervical spondylosis is localized: with muscle strain around the neck, neck pain, weakness and spreading to the shoulder, this type is the most common, accounting for about 40% of outpatients. This type of cervical spondylosis does not require surgical treatment.
14.What are the precautions after cervical spondylosis surgery?
(1) You can get out of bed under the protection of a neck brace on the second day after surgery to avoid falling.
(2) When you go out, you need cervical brace protection for about 3 months, and you need to take pictures to check the bone healing in the first, third and sixth months after discharge from the hospital.
15.Does the internal fixation plate need to be removed twice after cervical spine surgery?
Because the internal fixation plate is made of biocompatible material, the rejection reaction is small, and it does not interfere with the postoperative CT and MRI imaging. Generally do not need to take out, except for special circumstances.
16.Can sleeping on a low pillow prevent cervical spondylosis?
This view is incorrect, because the head and neck have a normal physiological curve, that is, the cervical spine is mildly convex. This physiological curve not only ensures the balance of the external muscles of the cervical spine, but also plays an important role in maintaining the physiological anatomical state of the spinal canal. Usually the height of the pillow is in the range of 10-15 cm.
17.Is there any relationship between cervical spondylosis and cervical spine trauma?
Acute cervical spine trauma, such as mild fracture of the cervical spine caused by external force, causes mild movement of the cervical spine and serious contusion of the neck, which can cause damage to the cervical intervertebral disc, local soft tissue damage resulting in edema, irritation or compression of nerve roots and produce symptoms of cervical spondylosis.
Chronic strain injury is related to long-term engagement in a certain occupation and poor physiological posture. Such as embroidery, sewing, transcription and other work that requires a long low head, or sleep with an inappropriate pillow height, etc., can cause relaxation of the neck joint capsule, ligaments, etc., thus accelerating the degeneration of the cervical spine and gradually occur cervical spondylosis symptoms.
18.Is it cervical spondylosis to have frequent pillow fall or pillow loss?
Patients usually have an acute onset, usually no discomfort at bedtime, but the next morning they feel obvious neck pain and stiffness, head tilting to the affected side and jaw turning to the opposite side. However, because it is a simple muscle spasm, it is easy to recover, and in mild cases, it can heal itself within 3-5 days; in severe cases, it may last for several weeks, and in some cases, recurrent attacks may even develop into cervical spondylosis. Therefore, the middle-aged and elderly people who often repeatedly pillow, often as a precursor to cervical spondylosis, should promptly seek medical advice. In order to avoid recurrent attacks, the pillow, sleep posture, etc. to take timely measures to adjust. At the same time, sudden sprains should also be avoided.
19.Can I do massage or massage after suffering from cervical spondylosis?
There are many cervical cervical spondylosis patients feel that since cervical spondylosis is muscle fatigue, they choose massage, which can relax the muscles and is very comfortable, but in fact, there are great hidden dangers in it. Massage can lead to further damage to soft tissues, although after a vigorous (or even violent) massage, feel more comfortable for a short time, but the pain will reappear after a few hours. This is because after vigorous massage muscle edema occurs, the symptoms reappear. This repeated massage, repeated edema, the formation of a non-benign cycle, the result is more and more power, but the disease can not get better. Therefore, cervical spine patients must avoid excessive massage.
20.Can cervical spondylosis be prevented?
Yes. The following principles can prevent the occurrence of cervical spondylosis and its progress.
(1) Read books about cervical spondylosis and master the prevention and treatment of the disease by scientific means.
(2) Maintain an optimistic spirit, establish the idea of fighting hard against the disease, cooperate with the doctor’s treatment and reduce recurrence.
(3) Strengthen the exercise of neck and shoulder muscles, do forward flexion, backward extension and rotation of head and upper limbs in between or after work, which can relieve fatigue and make the muscles developed and toughness enhanced, thus contributing to the stability of the spine of the cervical segment and enhancing the ability of the neck and shoulder to comply with sudden changes in the neck.
(4) Avoid the bad habit of sleeping with a high pillow, which makes the head bend forward and increases the stress of the lower cervical spine, which may accelerate the degeneration of the cervical spine.
(5) Pay attention to the neck and shoulder warmth, avoid head and neck weight, avoid excessive fatigue, and do not doze off when sitting in a car.
(6) Early and thorough treatment of neck, shoulder and back soft tissue strain to prevent its development into cervical spondylosis.
(7) Prevent flash and contusion when working or walking.
(8) Long-term ambulatory workers should change their head position regularly and do the exercise of neck and shoulder muscles on time, but avoid strenuous activities and do not advocate engaging in confrontational sports activities.
(9) Pay attention to the correct posture of the head, neck, shoulders and back, do not shrug your shoulders, talk and read books with a frontal gaze. To keep the spine straight.
(10) Chinese medicine believes that walnuts, dogwood, raw earth, black sesame, etc. has the function of kidney marrow, a reasonable amount of taking can play a role in strengthening muscles and bones, delaying the role of kidney and joint degeneration.
21.I often feel dizzy, headache and blurred vision, is this condition cervical spondylosis?
No, it is not. One type of cervical spondylosis is sympathetic nerve type: it accounts for about 3%. The symptoms are caused by pressure on the sympathetic nerve in the neck. Because of its wide distribution, it can cause symptoms in many organs and systems. These include
(1) Head symptoms: dizziness, headache, posterior neck pain.
(2) Eye symptoms: drooping eyelids, blurred vision, and even blindness.
(3) Cardiac symptoms: rapid or slowed heartbeat, heartburn.
(4) Peripheral symptoms: numbness or pain in the limbs, head, neck, and face.
(5) Other: tinnitus, deafness, etc. Generally this symptom bit neurological system diseases.
22.When are you prone to cervical spondylosis?
People who work from morning to night during the day, and whose head posture is like “thinking of their hometown with their head down”, and those who face the computer fluorescent screen all day long and those who “work hard with their head down”, are most Easy to get cervical spondylosis. If you think upright against the wall is like being punished for standing, you can first put the pillow on one side of the bed when lying flat on the bed, so that the neck posture and “head up to look at the moon” the same posture, help eliminate the long time “head down thinking about home” suffering. No pillow supine can also be soothing. Every night before going to bed without a pillow supine 1 to 2 hours, help prevent the occurrence of cervical spondylosis, has been suffering from cervical spondylosis can play a role in the treatment. It may be effective for some people, but for others there is no significant effect. No pillow supine should be 1 hour or a maximum of 2 hours is appropriate, the neck should not be stretched too long. But if you find that lying on your back without a pillow affects the quality of sleep, or feel harmful to health, you should stop. In addition to those who spend their days on the computer, those who work all day and all night with their heads down, are also prone to cervical spondylosis, the female garment workers are one of the best examples, when the garment is always low.
23.Lately, I have been feeling numbness and pain in my arms, is this cervical spondylosis?
It could be. One type of cervical spondylosis is the nerve root type: it accounts for about 35% and manifests as electric shock-like radiating pain and sensory disorder in the upper limbs, numbness in the fingers, foreign sensation, and inflexible movement. It can be aggravated by head tilting, coughing and sneezing. Early onset of the disease can be brought to the attention of the patient, the earlier the patient goes to the doctor, the better the outcome, only a small number of patients can be self-healing.
24.Do I need to stay in bed after cervical spine surgery?
You can get out of bed the day after anterior cervical surgery, and you can be discharged from the hospital 3-4 days after surgery.
25.What should I do if I have cervical spondylosis?
(1) Have a correct understanding of the disease and establish confidence in overcoming the disease: on the one hand, eliminate the fear of pessimism, and on the other hand, prevent the mentality of getting by and giving up active treatment.
(2) About rest: Patients with acute attack or first attack of cervical spondylosis should pay proper attention to rest, and those with serious conditions should take bed rest for 2-3 weeks. However, bed rest should not be too long to avoid changes such as muscle atrophy, tissue adhesions and joint adhesions, which hinder the recovery of cervical spondylosis. So the intermittent and chronic period of cervical spondylosis, should be appropriate to participate in work. Long-term rest is not required.
(3) About maintenance: The human body is like a complex machine that needs to be maintained from time to time. Especially cervical spondylosis, itself is a degenerative pathology, but also to protect the neck, try to avoid unnecessary damage. Whether it is sleep, rest. Or study and work, and even some daily movements, we must maintain good habits, and never forget the protection of the cervical spine.
(4) About treatment: There are non-surgical and surgical treatments for cervical spondylosis. The vast majority of patients can be relieved or even cured by non-surgical treatment. However, neurogenic and spinal cord type cervical spondylosis must be treated surgically.
(5) It is not easy to participate in strenuous confrontational sports activities, walking, swimming, etc. are what we advocate.