Symptoms of cervical spondylosis

Written by Qiu Xiang Zhong
Orthopedics
Updated on September 16, 2024
00:00
00:00

The cervical spine refers to the part of the spine located in the neck, consisting of seven vertebrae, intervertebral discs, and ligaments between the vertebrae. When cervical spondylosis occurs, it mainly causes pain in the head, neck, and shoulders, as well as numbness or pain in the arms and fingers. When the neck is stiff, the patient's movement is restricted, and neck and shoulder pain may also be accompanied by dizziness, nausea, vomiting, or even sudden collapse. Some patients may also experience a heavy feeling in the shoulders and back, weakness in the arms, numbness in the fingers, decreased skin sensation in the limbs, and weakness in gripping objects; other patients may also experience weakness in the lower limbs, a feeling of treading on cotton when walking, unsteady walking, or numbness in the feet.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Su Zhen Bo
Orthopedics
1min home-news-image

How to treat cervical spondylosis

The patient has cervical spondylosis and can be treated using traditional Chinese medicine methods. For instance, firstly, it's important to advise the patient to minimize the loading activities on the head and neck area and to keep warm. Regular bed rest is beneficial, and local treatment can be applied to the neck using traditional Chinese herbal medicine ion penetration, acupuncture, and moxibustion. These therapies stimulate effective acupuncture points in the neck, which can unblock the muscle meridians, restore normal circulation of qi and blood, and help the neck muscles absorb nutrients, increasing their strength, toughness, and elasticity. These treatments can also enhance the strength and density of the cervical vertebrae, reduce irritation to the spinal cord, nerves, and blood vessels, and alleviate the patient's clinical symptoms. Under the guidance of traditional Chinese medicine methods, manual therapies like massage can significantly relieve clinical symptoms.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Cheng Bin
Orthopedics
46sec home-news-image

The Harm of Cervical Spondylosis

The harm caused by cervical spondylosis is quite significant. Typically, patients with cervical spondylosis will experience pain, discomfort, or stiffness in their necks. When the vertebral artery is compressed, patients might exhibit a range of clinical symptoms, including dizziness, headaches, nausea, and vomiting. Furthermore, some patients may experience blurred vision, decreased hearing, numbness, weakness, and distension pain in either or both upper limbs. Some patients also suffer from symptoms like profuse sweating, loss of appetite, palpitations, instability while walking, and a sensation as if stepping on cotton, and in severe cases, they may experience abnormalities in urination and bowel movements.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Liu Yan Hao
Neurology
54sec home-news-image

Cervical vertigo characteristics

Dizziness is a typical symptom of cervical spondylosis, usually exacerbated when the patient turns their head to one side. In a normal person, when turning the head to one side, the vertebral artery on that side might be compressed, but the opposite vertebral artery can compensate by increasing blood flow, preventing cerebral insufficiency and dizziness. Conversely, in a patient with cervical spondylosis, due to osteophyte formation or changes in the curvature of the cervical spine, the vertebral artery on one side may be compressed. When the patient turns their head to the other side, the compressed vertebral artery cannot compensate by increasing blood flow, leading to insufficient cerebral blood supply and an increase in dizziness or the onset of dizziness symptoms. This explains the characteristics and mechanism of dizziness caused by cervical spondylosis.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Na Hong Wei
Orthopedics
1min 41sec home-news-image

Cervical spondylosis treatment

The treatment of cervical spondylosis firstly requires identifying the specific type of the condition, as treatment is determined based on the classification. The first type, cervical type cervical spondylosis, generally is asymptomatic, merely presenting as degeneration at the edges of the cervical spine. Even if symptoms are present, satisfactory effects can generally be obtained through conservative treatment, so cervical type cervical spondylosis does not require surgical treatment. The second type, nerve root type cervical spondylosis, is the most common type. The vast majority can be cured through conservative treatment, with approximately ninety-five percent achieving cure, leaving only about five percent who require surgery due to very clear nerve damage sites which have not improved with conservative treatment and worsened nerve compression symptoms. The third type, spinal cord type cervical spondylosis, basically requires surgical treatment, and it is better to perform the surgery sooner rather than later. The fourth type, vertebral artery type cervical spondylosis, is usually treated conservatively, mainly focusing on immobilization, anti-inflammatory, and pain relief treatments, while also addressing arteriosclerosis concurrently. The fifth type, sympathetic nerve type cervical spondylosis, requires coordinated treatment with internal medicine while treating this type of cervical spondylosis. Thus, the treatment of cervical spondylosis is actually not complicated. First, ascertain which type of cervical spondylosis you have, and then, treat accordingly.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Cheng Bin
Orthopedics
44sec home-news-image

Is cervical spondylosis serious?

The severity of cervical spondylosis largely depends on the clinical symptoms of the patient. If the patient with cervical spondylosis experiences discomfort and stiffness in the neck, along with headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, hearing loss, unsteady walking, a sensation of stepping on cotton, numbness and weakness in both upper limbs, and swelling pain, it indicates that the cervical spondylosis is very serious and has caused significant compression on the vertebral artery and spinal nerve roots. Such patients need to be actively treated, and if necessary, surgical treatment should be carried out, involving the removal of the intervertebral disc and decompressive surgery to expand the spinal canal.