Cervical Spondylosis

Cervical spondylosis is a degenerative disease of the spine, located in the cervical vertebrae and intervertebral discs. Also known as cervical osteoarthritis, the disease usually occurs in people aged over 40 years and evolves over time.
 Although cervical spondylosis affects both sexes equally, occurs earlier in men than in women.
 The process of degeneration characteristic of cervical spondylosis is the result of wear on the back of neck bones as you age. Other changes that accompany this disease, such as abnormal proliferation of bone (bone spurs) can increase the pressure on spinal nerves and sometimes the spinal cord.
 Mild forms of cervical spondylosis without treatment, or respond to conservative treatment, which consists of wearing a cervical orthosis or analgesics.
 In case of serious cervical spondylosis, especially those that involve pressing the spinal cord or spinal nerves, treatment may include physiotherapy, medication or surgery strong.
Spondylosis is a degenerative joint disease, cervical and lumbar spine. It is caused most often associated with age changes of the intervertebral discs. Cervical intervertebral disc degeneration is the result. As it wears with age is fragamenteaza loses moisture and suffer collapse. Initial degenerative process begins in the nucleus pulposus. Pathological changes result in incarceration central fiber fiber fiber ring and its external externalization with increased mechanical stress on the cartilage of the vertebral bodies of girls.
Cervical myelopathy occurs as a result of several physiological factors. They are statico-mechanical, dynamic-mechanical, ischemia and spinal cord injuries associated with stretching. Bone spurs develop as ventral spinal cord space is reduced with the development of myelopathy. Distinct clinical syndromes observed for cervical spondylosis include headache, shoulder pain, pain suboccipitala, spondilotica cervical myelopathy and radicular symptoms. As disc degeneration is mechanical stress lead to bone spurs that form along the ventral face of the spinal canal.Frequently associated with degenerative changes occur in the joints, hypertrophy and ossification of yellow ligament, posterior longitudinal ligament. All these contribute to nerve compression and sensitive determination of various clinical syndromes.Spondylosis changes are seen frequently in older populations, however, only a small percentage of affected patients shows symptomatic radiographic changes.
Treatment is by nature conservative. Regimens are most commonly used NSAIDs, physical therapy and lifestyle changes.Cervical spine immobilization is the standard conservative therapy for these patients. Immobilization limits neck motion and reduce nerve irritation. Soft cervical collars are recommended for daily use. More rigid corsets Philadelphia, Minerva can significantly immobilize the spine.Surgery is occasionally performed. Many therapeutic modalities for cervical spondylosis have not been studied yet. Surgery is indicated for patients with cervical radiculopathy with persistent pain, weakness, or progressive symptoms that do not improve with physical therapy. Surgical indications for cervical spondylosis myelopathy still remain controversial.
Evolution of cervical spondylosis may be slow and prolonged, and patients can either remain asymptomatic or mild neck pain.Nonprogressive disability periods are typically long, and in some cases the patient's condition deteriorates. Morbidity ranges from chronic neck pain, radicular pain, reducing space motion, headache, myelopathy leading to weakness and impaired motor coordination until quadripareza sphincter dysfunction and in advanced cases. Patients may become wheelchair dependent.
Cervical Spondylosis - Causes and risk factorsAge. Cervical spondylosis is a disease mainly seen in older people. Among those under 40 years, 25% had degenerative disc disease and 4% had stenosis of foramen. In people over age 40 have the disease more than 60% and 20% stenosis spondylosis foramen.Besides age and sex have been proposed several possible risk factors for cervical spondylosis. Repeated occupational trauma may contribute. Familial cases have been reported, so a possible genetic factor. Smoking may be a risk factor. Conditions that contribute to excessive segmental mobility and segmental instability: column fused congenital cerebral palsy, Down syndrome may be risk factors for disease spondylosis.