This is when the vertebral discs and neck ligaments wear down. It happens because the neck disc shrinks as we age, causing osteoarthritis.
This condition gets worse with age.
This disease is also known as osteoarthritis neck or degenerative Osteoarthritis.
Causes
There are many causes.
- Dehydration of disc: Our disc tends to become dry and shrink as we age. This can lead to more contact between the bones, which can cause cervical spondylolysis.
- Herniated disc: This is the most common reason for cervical spondylosis. Aging can cause weakness in our vertebrae, leading to wear on the vertebrae and herniated disks, which may press sensory nerves and cause numbness.
- Osteoarthritis is a progressive condition in which your cartilage dissolves gradually, and your bones come into contact with one another.
- Stiff ligaments: This is when ligaments become stiffer with age. This stiffening could lead to cervical spondylolysis
- Bone spurs: Spinal disc degeneration can lead to bone growth in unintended directions. The body’s effort to strengthen the spinal cord can cause more harm than good, and bone spurs are also known as bone spurs.
Signs
Most patients don’t feel any symptoms at all about the neck. They often misunderstand the condition as other diseases due to other symptoms like bowel or bladder control loss. As the symptoms get worse, it is easy to identify cervical spondylitis. These are the symptoms
- Stiffness and pain in the neck
- Neck pain
- Muscle spasms
- When you move your neck, there is a clicking or popping sound
- Numbness, tingling, and weakness in your feet and arms
- Walking difficulties and lack of coordination
- Loss of bowel control, loss of bladder control.
What can physical therapy do?
Cervical spondylosis is a condition in which the neural and musculoskeletal systems are affected. A physical therapy treatment that is effective can be combined with other treatments and medications to treat cervical spondylosis. A skilled physical therapist will program a series of exercises that include neck stretches, neck tilts, neck movements, neck muscle strengthening, and neck movement. The treatment also includes using a soft brace to support the neck and hot or cold therapy to relax the neck muscles. Massage techniques and manipulations maximize the mobilization and treatment of the cervical spine and neck.
