What is cervical spondylosis?
Due to strain, aging and trauma of the cervical spine, cervical disc itself and its surrounding muscles and ligaments and other tissues, irritation and compression of the nerves, blood vessels and spinal cord in the neck can cause a series of clinical manifestations in the cervical collar, upper limbs, head and even lower limbs. Medically, it is called cervical spondylosis.
What is the physiological role of the cervical spine?
The spine is an important part of the skeleton that supports the human body to stand, and it includes five parts: the cervical spine, the thoracic spine, the lumbar spine, the sacral spine and the caudal spine, of which the cervical spine is located at the uppermost end, and various nerve signals sent by the brain first pass through the cervical spine and then pass to all parts of the body, and conversely, the nutrition required by the brain is also transported through the blood vessels around the cervical spine, so the cervical spine is an important hub connecting the brain and the whole body.
What are the symptoms of cervical spondylosis?
Because the nerves coming out of the brain first pass through the cervical spine to reach the whole body, and the blood supply to the head and upper limbs also needs to pass through the cervical spine, the clinical symptoms caused by cervical spondylosis are very complicated.
In relatively mild cervical spondylosis, only stiffness, stiffness and pain in the neck, collar and back occur, and the symptoms can be aggravated when the cervical spine is flexed, extended or rotated.
If the nerves leading to the upper extremities are affected, pain, radiating pain or numbness in the neck and upper extremities may occur, as well as dullness of skin sensation and loss of muscle strength in the upper extremities.
If the nerves and blood vessels to the head (vertebral artery) are affected, dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, tinnitus, and blurred vision may occur.
If the spinal cord inside the cervical spine is affected, weakness of the limbs, weakness of the legs, muscle stiffness, difficulty walking, or even paralysis of the lower limbs, loss of control of urination and defecation, and sexual dysfunction may occur.
The most complex clinical manifestation is sympathetic cervical spondylosis. If the sympathetic nerves in the neck are affected, heart panic, chest tightness, stomach distension, diarrhea, little or excessive sweating of the limbs, chills in the extremities, irritability, facial fever, tinnitus, diminished vision, eye swelling, tachycardia or bradycardia, and spasm or dilation of blood vessels in both upper limbs and the head and face can occur.
Often there is not a single type of cervical spondylosis at its onset, but often two or more types occur simultaneously.
Why do I get cervical spondylosis?
Simply put, the causes of cervical spondylosis are both endogenous and exogenous.
The main internal cause is that as we age, the cervical spine and its surrounding muscles, ligaments and other soft tissues will undergo varying degrees of strain and aging, and the ability to tolerate and repair damage to itself will decline.
External factors include improper force, localized wind, cold and dampness or trauma. For example, prolonged head-down work or improper sitting and lying posture can cause improper force on the cervical spine, which can cause cervical spine injury over time. Therefore, the modern use of computers more and more people, coupled with a long time in the air-conditioned environment, resulting in the incidence of cervical spondylosis increased, and the age tends to be younger.
If the cervical spine is compared to a pole, then the muscles, ligaments and other soft tissues attached to its surroundings are like a steel wire, when the cervical disc begins to age and support capacity decreases, the mobility of the cervical joints will increase and the cervical spine becomes unstable, then the soft tissues around it need to use several times more force than normal to maintain the stability of the cervical spine; on the other hand, due to long-term improper posture and other reasons On the other hand, due to prolonged improper posture and other reasons, soft tissues such as muscles and ligaments will also be aging, and their strength and elasticity will show different degrees of decline, while the load they bear is increasing, over time, the loss of compensatory capacity, forming a vicious circle, which will lead to the occurrence of cervical spondylosis.
How to self-judge whether cervical spondylosis is born?
From the above introduction, we can see that the symptoms of cervical spondylosis are intricate and complex. When some of the symptoms appear, how to determine whether cervical spondylosis is born, generally speaking, the vast majority of cervical spondylosis is accompanied by stiffness and discomfort in the neck or upper back, pain, and aggravation of symptoms when the cervical spine is active, etc. To further confirm the diagnosis, it is necessary to ask for the help of a specialist. In addition to asking your doctor to do the necessary tests, you should also take x-rays of the cervical spine and, if necessary, make a CT or MRI examination.
Is cervical spine osteophytes cervical spondylosis?
We often find bone spurs in the cervical spine after taking an X-ray, sometimes called osteophytes or degenerative changes, so is this cervical spondylosis? To clarify this question, you first need to understand why bone spurs develop. There is a joint between two adjacent cervical vertebrae so that the cervical vertebrae can move in different directions. As we grow older, especially in middle age, the contact friction between the vertebrae increases when the cervical vertebrae move, and over time “calluses” will develop, which is what is known as osteophytes in medicine. This shows that people will have bone spurs at a certain age, but not everyone has cervical spondylosis, the key lies in the size and location of the bone spurs, only when the bone spurs are too large or improperly located, stimulating or compressing the surrounding nerves, blood vessels or spinal cord, then cervical spondylosis will occur. In this sense, having a bone spur is not terrible, and in terms of treatment, it does not have to be eliminated. As long as there are no obvious symptoms, there is no major harm in making peace with it.
What is a herniated cervical disc?
There is an elastic cushion between the two cervical vertebrae, which is medically known as a cervical disc. The cervical disc consists of three parts: two cartilage plates on the top and bottom, a fibrous ring around it, and a nucleus pulposus wrapped inside. The fibrous ring is like a tire, with interlocking fibrous tissues, so it is called a fibrous ring; the nucleus pulposus is like an egg yolk and is gelatinous. If the annulus fibrosus ruptures and the nucleus pulposus flows outside the annulus fibrosus, the condition is medically called a herniated disc.
What are the dangers of cervical spondylosis?
These symptoms can affect our quality of life, including emotions, sleep, daily life and work and study. In addition, if the disease develops further, it can cause insufficient blood supply to the brain, reduced brain function and, in rare cases, lower limb motor dysfunction or even paralysis. According to domestic and foreign research data, there are more than 70 symptoms clinically related to cervical spondylosis, therefore, cervical spondylosis also needs to be prevented and treated early so as not to cause future problems.
Can cervical spondylosis be cured?
The question of whether cervical spondylosis can be cured cannot be answered in a simple way. First of all, the occurrence of cervical spondylosis is related to the increase of age; secondly, it is also closely related to our usual sitting and lying posture and living habits. Over a period of time, the mechanical balance inside and outside the cervical spine is disrupted, and the nerves, blood vessels or spinal cord in the neck are adversely stimulated or injured, which will trigger a series of clinical symptoms, but the majority of patients can be relieved after treatment. Therefore, whether cervical spondylosis can be cured or not, the key lies not in the doctor but in the patient himself, that is to say, if you have cervical spondylosis, first of all, you should establish the correct concept, actively cooperate with the doctor, correct the bad sitting and lying posture, develop good living habits, and pass the attack period, once the new mechanical balance is established in the internal and external environment of the cervical spine, the condition will naturally tend to stabilize.
How to choose the right treatment method for cervical spondylosis.
Treatment methods for cervical spondylosis are divided into two categories: surgical and non-surgical. Some research data show that only 5% of cervical spondylosis patients need to receive surgical treatment, so 95 cervical spondylosis patients can apply non-surgical methods to relieve their pain.
Non-surgical treatment methods for cervical spondylosis include internal and external use of drugs, manipulation, acupuncture, physiotherapy, traction and so on. Each method has a certain effect, and generally two or more methods need to be used together to receive a good treatment effect, so please consult with a specialist for the specific treatment method you choose.
How can I prevent the occurrence or aggravation of cervical spondylosis?
To prevent the occurrence or aggravation of cervical spondylosis, you can start from the following six aspects.
1, correct bad posture, avoid cervical spine for a long time to maintain in a fixed position, generally about 1 hour should change the posture or do some simple neck activities. At the same time, also avoid half lying half sitting posture.
2, to avoid cold neck, including sweat and rain, direct exposure to wind and cold, etc.
3, choose the correct sleeping posture and the appropriate pillow. General pillow height should be slightly higher than their shoulder width, the texture of the pillow should be soft and flexible; sleep on your back, the pillow should be padded under the neck as much as possible; side sleep, avoid pressing the pillow under the shoulder. Do not sleep with a hard texture and fixed shape of the pillow.
4, neck cushion pillow method. Take the supine position, the bath towel folded and rolled into a cylindrical pad under the neck, pay attention to adjust the height of the cushion pillow, on the one hand, to the cervical spine curvature pad out, that is, under the neck with a sense of support; on the other hand, the head of the back of the pillow and can not leave the bed. Once a day, each pad time to 30 to 60 minutes is appropriate, do not be too long. This method on the one hand helps restore the physiological curvature of the cervical spine, on the other hand is also a very practical and convenient traction method, it uses the mechanics of the principle of leverage, the use of the body and the head’s own weight to achieve traction on the cervical spine, more natural and comfortable, long-term adherence can achieve better results.
5.Cervical spine health exercises. Cervical spine forward flexion, back extension, left and right lateral flexion, left and right rotation, a total of six angles, each angle alone to the maximum range of activities, each do 3 to 6 times. Can be repeated several times a day. Do not perform too fast, too violent head ring shaking.
How to do traction when I have cervical spondylosis?
As a basic treatment for cervical spondylosis, cervical traction therapy is widely used in orthopedic injury departments, rehabilitation departments and massage departments of hospitals. Simple traction equipment can also be used under the guidance of a doctor to perform traction at home or in the office.
The symptoms of cervical spondylosis appear due to degeneration of the cervical intervertebral disc, narrowing of the intervertebral space followed by cervical intervertebral joint dysfunction, osteophytes, increased load on muscles and ligaments, and injury, resulting in stimulation or compression of nerve roots, spinal cord and blood vessels. Cervical spine traction is precisely a treatment for this cause. Through longitudinal traction, the vertebral space is widened and negative pressure is formed inside the intervertebral disc and joint capsule, creating conditions for the retraction of the bulging intervertebral disc and the reset of the misaligned cervical joints. The normal line of the cervical spine is restored, the internal and external mechanical environment of the cervical spine is kept in balance, the function of the joints is restored to normal, and the irritation and compression symptoms of the spinal cord, nerve roots and vertebral artery can be effectively relieved or released. Commonly used home cervical traction devices include “jaw pillow sling traction device”, “round cervical collar traction device” and “half-ring inflatable cervical traction device”.
Jaw pillow sling traction device consists of traction belt, traction bow, traction rope and hammer, etc. It is a traditional cervical traction method and has certain clinical efficacy. Before traction, the device is fixed in a place where it can withstand gravity, usually in a sitting position, and traction is continued with the cervical vertebrae in forward flexion of about 15 degrees. It is important to note that the head should not be turned freely during traction, and it is necessary to ask others to help when increasing or decreasing the traction force; talking should be avoided during traction. Some patients are reluctant to undergo this treatment because of the discomfort associated with the greater force on the lower jaw and its sides.
Compared with the round cervical collar traction device, it is easier to operate, and it can be operated alone when increasing or decreasing the traction force, and it is possible to walk freely during the traction process. However, the circular cervical collar still has compression irritation on the anterior part of the neck and its sides, especially during the inflation transition, and some patients experience dizziness due to the compression of the carotid artery.
The semi-annular inflatable cervical traction device, when traction patients take the supine position, the pillow rest designed according to the physiological curvature of the cervical spine, so that the cervical spine and its surrounding muscles and ligaments maintain a good state of relaxation, which is conducive to the transmission of traction force along the cervical spine line; the traction force fulcrum is located in the posterior occipital area, avoiding the compression and stimulation of the neck and jaw joints, making traction more safe and comfortable; at the same time, the traction device also combines magnetic therapy and traction therapy At the same time, the traction device also combines magnetic therapy and traction therapy, the magnetic lines of force radiated by the magnetic beads during traction act on the meridian points in the neck, playing the role of dredging the meridians and channels, activating blood circulation and dispersing blood stasis to relieve pain.
When the cervical spondylosis attack, traction 1 to 2 times a day, each time 15 to 30 minutes, 10 times for a course of treatment, rest for 3 days and then enter the next course of treatment. It is especially important to remind that no matter which traction method is chosen, the doctor’s opinion should be consulted first and carried out under the doctor’s guidance, and after 1 to 2 courses of traction, a review should be conducted at the hospital to avoid traction transition or negative effects due to improper traction methods.