Cervical spondylosis is a comprehensive set of symptoms caused by the gradual degeneration of human cervical discs, cervical spine osteophytes or changes in the normal physiological curvature of the cervical spine stimulating the nerve roots, spinal cord, vertebral artery, sympathetic nerve. The overall prevalence rate is 3.8%~17.6%, and the prevalence rate of institutional workers is 4%~10%, 6.2% for workers, and the prevalence rate of men and women is close.
Long-term engaged in accounting, writing, typing, office and other occupations of staff, due to long-term low desk work, so that the cervical vertebrae for a long time in a flexion position or some specific position, not only to increase the pressure in the cervical disc, but also make the neck muscles in a long-term non-coordinated stress state, the posterior cervical muscles and ligaments are susceptible to strain strain, the front edge of the vertebral body, mutual wear, hyperplasia, coupled with twisting, lateral flexion, excessive. This, coupled with excessive twisting and lateral flexion, further leads to injury and makes it easy for cervical spondylosis to occur.
Causal factors of cervical spondylosis.
(1) Degenerative changes of the cervical spine (aging of the intervertebral disc);
(2) traumatic factors (dozing off in a car, playing bumper cars);
(3) chronic strain injury (pillow too high, too low, lying down to read, watch TV);
(4) wind, cold, wet (cold baths, rain, wading, air conditioning, open windows in the car blowing wind);
(5) emotional changes (frustration, depression).
The symptoms of cervical spondylosis are divided into the following five types (the most common being cervical and nerve root type).
(1) Cervical type: complaints of abnormal sensations such as head, neck and shoulder pain, neck stiffness, discomfort, pain and inflexibility of movement, the most common type.
(2) Nerve root type: numbness, pain, and reduced grip strength in the palm or arm, and when the condition is severe, it is difficult to sleep with pain throughout the night.
(3) Spinal cord type: weakness, stiffness, unsteadiness of the limbs, stepping on cotton, and a feeling of girdling.
(4) Vertebral artery type: migraine, dizziness, chest tightness, chest pain, and each vertigo attack is related to cervical rotation.
(5) Sympathetic nerve type: clinical manifestations include a series of sympathetic nerve symptoms such as dizziness, blurred vision, tinnitus, hand numbness, tachycardia, and pain in the precordial region.
Cervical spondylosis prevention, the most important thing is to pay attention to the correct sitting posture, the correct sitting posture is: natural sitting position, the spine is straight, hips and back fully in contact with the surface of the chair, shoulder line parallel to the edge of the table, two feet on the ground, the height of the table and chair to the best state with their height ratio, gaze level to the computer screen, avoid excessive neck flexion or backward. In about 1 to 2 hours of work, purposefully let the head and neck to the front and back of the left and right several times, the rotation should be gentle, slow, to achieve the maximum range of motion in all directions shall prevail, so that cervical joint fatigue is relieved.
Sleep to pay attention to a reasonable pillow, because 1/3 of the time in a person’s life to spend in sleep, a reasonable pillow can not only prevent cervical spondylosis, can also play a certain therapeutic role. Pillow height requirements 6 ~ 12cm, an average of 9cm, pillow height can also be determined according to each person measurement “jaw angle line” (jaw angle to the distance of the shoulder peak).
The shape of the pillow is low in the center and high at both ends, limiting the lateral flexion and rotation of the head, with the neck fully in contact with the pillow and slightly tilted back to avoid overhang. Pillow filling to soft and hard, feel comfortable, you can use chowder, cotton, elastic cotton, mung bean skin, etc., to chowder skin is the best. Cervical spine in sleep to maintain a natural supine position is better, supine position is the main, side lying as a supplement, and to alternate between left and right side lying, other sleeping positions are bad sleeping position, sleep do not blow cold wind on the head and neck.
Cervical spondylosis prevention should also pay attention to avoid some bad life habits and postures in life.
(1) Avoid taking cold baths, blowing wind on the head and neck, winter swimming, running in winter wearing only tank tops and shorts, getting wet, wading in the water, riding in a car with the windows open and blowing wind;
(2) Avoid and reduce acute cervical spine injuries, such as avoiding heavy lifting, emergency braking, non-coordinated sports, long time low work, sudden turning back, head on the ball, etc.;
(3) avoid long-term work and study, curled up on the sofa bed to read books and watch TV, housewives low-headed cooking, sleeping habits such as high pillow, these bad posture habits make the neck in a long-term forward bending state, the back of the neck muscles, ligament tension, spasm, excessive disc stress, accelerated degeneration, and eventually cause cervical spondylosis;
(4) maintain a good mental state, emotional changes can cause changes in the physiological curvature of the cervical spine, hanging head and shoulders, resulting in cervical flexion, head up, cervical physiological curvature recovery.