Cervical Spondylosis is an age-related degeneration (‘wear and tear’) of the vertebrae and discs in the neck. To an extent, we all develop some degeneration in the vertebrae and discs as we become older. It tends to start sometime after the age of about 30. One feature of the degeneration is that the edges of the vertebrae often develop small, rough areas of bone called osteophytes.
Also, over many years, the discs become thinner. In many people, the degeneration does not cause any symptoms. For example, routine X-rays of the neck will show these features (osteophytes and disc thinning) in many people who do not have any symptoms.
However, in some people, the nearby muscles, ligaments, or nerves may become irritated or ‘pressed on’ by the degenerative changes. So, cervicalspondylosis can be a cause of neck pain, particularly in older people.
Not all types of neck mean that an individual is suffering from cervical Spondylosis.
But, if not looked after and treated carefully, neck pain may take the form of CervicalSpondylosis.
Symptoms of CervicalSpondylosismay manifest differently in different individuals, varying from mild to severe. The most common of them being
Long standing degeneration (wearing away) of the vertebrae and the intervertebral discs is the primary cause behind this disorder. Now this can be triggered due to a number of reasons such as
The history of your complaints and the examination findings often provide most of the details necessary to diagnose CervicalSpondylosis. However, some tests may be required to confirm the diagnosis as well as to assess the extent of damage that has already occurred. It can also be used to track the progress of the condition over a period of time.
Here are some of the tests that can be done to confirm the diagnosis
Aim to keep your neck moving as normally as possible. During flare-ups the pain may be quite bad, and you may need to rest for a day or so. However, gently exercise the neck as soon as you are able to do. You should not let it ‘stiffen up’. Gradually try to increase the range of the neck movements. Every few hours Gently move your neck do isometric exercise several times a day. Often good physio can help you for this. Applying heat over painful area can be very helpful.
As far as possible, continue with normal activities. You will not cause damage to your neck by moving it.
Painkillers are often helpful. Pain killer as well as anti-inflammatory medicine can help you to move your neck for exercise. As well as it help to reduce an inflammation in neck. Pain killer are good role in early spondylotic changes.
In advance stages pain killers are not much useful. Also in long run pain killers can have a adverse effect on Kidney, liver and other major organs. So you should not take pain killers by your own, consult your doctor for this.
If pain is not controlled with pain killer or exercise than role of intervention become important.
This is an x ray guided injection, where anti- inflammatory drug is injected around affected vertebrae and nerve in neck. This helps you to reduce inflammation and keeps neck relaxed and moving. Once a neck is relaxed you can do a good exercise and keep it more fit. This injection we give under local anesthesia and under continuous X ray guidance.
We are injecting a drug under x ray guidance so we are sure that we are putting our drug at exact site where pathology is and it also required a less amount of drug.
This is newer techniques. If cervical spondylosis is not getting cured with other sort of treatment. Than radio frequency ablation of nerve which carries pain sensation of that particular joint/s can be helpful. Under live X ray guidance we insert a radiofrequency needle in neck. Proper position is confirmed under x ray machine.
Live Well Hospital is known as an expert in treatment of neck pain in India. Our expert team based in Ahmedabad ensures that our doctors can take care of all kinds of cases related to neck pain in the best way. We are amongst the best neck pain treatment and pain management centers in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. Live Well Hospital is recognised for the best doctors and best pain specialists to handle all kinds of neck pain cases in Gujarat and in India. Dr. Hitesh Patel, the senior pain specialist and founder of Live Well Hospital assures all patients a better life guaranteed when treated at the renowned hospital, which is known as the leaders for pain management and pain free living in not just the city of Ahmedabad but the entire state of Gujarat and Western India.
We also do proper sensory and motor stimulation to confirm our needle position. Once we confirmed needles proper position we use radio-frequency current to make it numb. This procedure only numbs sensory part of joint and nerve and does not affect any function of nerve. To read more about radio frequency ablation