Cervical spondylosis is an umbrella term for cervical spinal stenosis, cervical spine osteophytes, and the resulting set of clinical symptoms. Alternatively, the combination of osteophytes, degenerative changes in the cervical spine and the clinical symptoms caused by their cervical disc pathology is called cervical spondylosis.
Cervical spondylosis is a multi-morbidity. According to the survey engaged in education, scientific research personnel, accountants, secretaries, editors, draftsmen and people who work on a regular basis, all account for 78.3% of the incidence. Age around 30-40 years old almost all have cervical spine bone degeneration and ligament calcification on X-ray plain film, and 3/4 of them, have symptoms of different severity. This shows that cervical spondylosis is a common disease with a high incidence.
Causes of cervical spondylosis
There are many factors that cause cervical spondylosis, and the main cause is long-term low head work or poor sitting posture, which causes the neck muscles and soft tissues to contract for a long time, and the metabolite lactic acid accumulates, stimulating the tendons to spasm, resulting in local stiffness, soreness, straightness and dizziness, forming strain on the ligaments, fascia and muscles of the neck. This is what is said in the Suwen – Yi Ming Wu Qi Theory: “Long vision hurts blood, long lying hurts gas, long sitting hurts muscle, long standing hurts bone, long walking hurts tendon”.
Classification of cervical spondylosis and its symptoms
Cervical spondylosis can be broadly classified as neurogenic, spinal cord, vertebral artery and sympathetic nerve type. There are also mixed types where the symptoms and signs between each type are mixed with each other.
The symptoms of different types of cervical spondylosis are as follows.
1.Nerve root type
The nerve root type has the highest incidence among all types, accounting for about 60%, and is common in people aged 40 and above. Clinically, it presents symptoms such as sore shoulder muscles, back pain, stiff neck muscles, sinking upper limbs and weakness.
2.Spinal cord type
Spinal cord type cervical spondylosis accounts for about 10%-15% of cervical spondylosis. It has many clinical symptoms, such as headache, dizziness, scalp pain; numbness, soreness, burning, pain and weakness in the fingers, scapulae and shoulders; weakness and trembling in one or both sides of the lower limbs; numbness in the small toes of both feet and nerves in both hands; frequent urination, urgent urination, incomplete urination, constipation, weakness in defecation and other symptoms.
3.Vertebral artery type
The symptoms of this type present numbness of limbs, holding objects to the ground; heart, vomiting, tinnitus, deafness; falling, pupil narrowing, blurred vision, difficulty swallowing, occipital throbbing pain and other symptoms.
4.Sympathetic type
The clinical symptoms of this type include dizziness, bradycardia, tearing, nasal congestion, droopy eyelids; headache and dizziness, dull head, migraine, occipital pain, pain at the back of the neck; blurred vision, swelling and pain in the eye sockets; rapid heartbeat, heart rhythm disturbance, elevated blood pressure; numbness of the head and neck, excessive sweating, pain in the fingertips or toe tips and other symptoms.
Chinese medicine treatment
Cold and dampness obstruction type: headache or pain in the posterior occipital region, neck stiffness, unfavorable lateral rotation, soreness and numbness in one or both shoulders, arms and fingers; or headache involving upper back pain, cold and damp skin, fear of cold and preference for heat, soft tissue swelling nodules can be palpated next to the cervical spine. The tongue is light red, the fur is thin and white, and the pulse is thin and stringent.
Herbs: Chuan Gui Zhi, Qiang Wu, Wei Ling Xian, Gentiana Macrophylla, Chuan Xiong, Dang Gui Wei, Ge Ge Gen, Tian Ma, Gun Jia Zhu, Fried Shen Qu, Red Peony.
Qi and blood deficiency with stasis (this type is common in vertebral artery type cervical spondylosis): dizziness, vertigo, blurred vision or pain in vision, weakness, poor appetite, neck pain, or pain in both shoulders. The tongue is light red or light fat, with tooth marks on the sides. The coating is thin, white and moist. The pulse is sunken and weak.
Radix et Rhizoma Tenuifolia, Radix Astragali, Radix Glycyrrhiza Uralensis, Radix Codonopsis Pilosulae, Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae, Radix Rehmanniae Praeparata, Radix et Rhizoma Sandy, Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Radix Paeoniae Alba, Radix Rehmanniae Praeparata.
Qi and Yin deficiency with stasis (this type is common in vertebral artery type and sympathetic nerve type cervical spondylosis): recurrent episodes of vertigo, or even dozens of times a day, even when lying in bed, the vision rotates, accompanied by nausea, vomiting, weakness, walking instability, or palpitations, shortness of breath, irritability, dry throat and bitter mouth, poor sleep and dreaminess, etc. The tongue is red, with thin white or slightly yellow and dry coating, or the tongue is bare and without coating, with distended veins under the tongue. The pulse is sunken and counted, or stringy.
Herbs: Tian Ma, Chuan Xiong, Hang Chrysanthemum, Fructus Lycii, Sha Shen, roasted licorice, fried jujube seed, fried cypress seed, roasted Yuan Zhi, Bai Shao, Dan Shen, Di Long, and Nightshade.
Spleen and kidney Yang deficiency with stasis type incomplete paresis of limbs (hard or soft paresis): incontinence of urine and stool, fear of cold and warmth, normal diet or poor appetite. Pale red tongue, thin white or slightly greasy coating, sunken thin string pulse, or sunken thin and weak pulse.
Prescription: Shu Di, Jujube Peel, Gun Ginger, Turtle Board Gum, Deer Horns Gum, Gun Jia Zhu, White Mustard Seed, Fried Eucommia, Niubizi, Huai Shan Yao, Fried Shen Qu, White Peony, Chuan Gui Zhi, Cinnamon, Roasted Licorice.