Degenerative changes in the cervical spine do not usually cause high blood pressure. Degenerative changes in the cervical spine can cause different types of cervical spondylosis, including nerve root type, spinal cord type, vertebral artery type and sympathetic type, but generally do not cause hypertension.
1. Neurogenic: Neurogenic cervical spondylosis is a series of symptoms caused by the compression of cervical nerve roots by degenerative structures of the cervical vertebrae. The patient mainly manifests one side of the neck and shoulder pain and radiating pain in the upper limbs, accompanied by upper limb numbness, sensory abnormality, muscle weakness, and inflexible finger movement, etc., but it does not cause hypertension.
2. Spinal cord: Spinal cord cervical spondylosis is caused by the degeneration of cervical vertebrae compressing the spinal cord or blood vessels supplying blood to the spinal cord, and it is the most serious type of cervical spondylosis. Patients may have numbness and weakness of the limbs, stiffness, abnormal sensation, fine motor disorders of the hands, etc. In severe cases, incontinence can be caused. However, high blood pressure is rarely seen.
3. Vertebral artery type: Vertebral artery is a blood vessel traveling in the transverse process of the cervical vertebrae, mainly supplying blood to the back part of the brain. When cervical degeneration compresses or stimulates the vertebral artery, it can cause insufficient blood supply to the vertebrobasilar artery, resulting in dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting and other symptoms. Sometimes fainting can occur when the neck is suddenly turned.
4. Sympathetic type: Sympathetic cervical spondylosis is caused by cervical spine degeneration and compression of sympathetic nerves, and the patient may have dizziness, headache, insomnia, palpitation, arrhythmia, coldness of the face and trunk, and memory loss, etc., and will not have high blood pressure.
Hypertension can be categorized into primary and secondary, secondary hypertension can be seen in kidney disease or endocrine disease, but cervical spine degeneration generally does not cause hypertension. Patients are advised to go to the hospital as soon as possible.