The overall term for the wear and strain on the cervical spine is cervical spondylosis, sometimes referred to as arthritis of the neck. If you are dealing with cervical spondylosis, your neck may feel stiff, painful, or achy. Healthcare providers can stop these medical issues from getting worse, but they cannot cure them.

The prevalence of cervical spondylosis is very high. People over the age of 60 have a prevalence of this illness that exceeds 85%. The most common symptoms of cervical spondylosis are stiffness and pain in the neck, while many people may not show any symptoms at all. For cervical spondylosis, conservative treatment—which consists of both physical therapy and medication—usually works well.

On rare occasions, cervical spondylosis causes the spinal canal inside the spine’s bones to narrow. It is crucial to remember that the spinal cord and nerve roots pass via the spinal canal, a gap inside the vertebrae, to reach the rest of the body.

You may have a number of symptoms, including as paralysis, tingling, and weakness in your arms, hands, legs, or feet, as well as trouble walking and poor coordination, if the spinal cord or nerve roots become pinched. Your ability to control your bowels or bladder may also be compromised.

The potential causes of cervical spondylosis may be of interest to you. The most common cause is age-related changes in the spine. Medical disorders include osteoarthritis, degenerative disk disease, herniated disks, bone spurs, and spinal stenosis may also be affected by changes.

An increased risk of cervical myelopathy is linked to cervical spondylosis. This happens when the spinal cord in the neck is compressed by an item. It also makes cervical radiculopathy worse, which is a disorder marked by a narrowed nerve in the neck.

What medical issue can the doctor identify before recommending that you start treatment? A medical professional will perform a physical examination and check the neck for knots or tumors. They may check your walk, hand, arms, and legs reflexes, as well as your neck flexibility and muscular strength.

Your healthcare practitioner may perform a number of tests on you to get precise images or pictures of your spine and to check on your skeletal muscles and nerves. Some of the tests that may be performed are X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, myelograms, electromyography, and nerve conduction studies.

The first stage of treatment may involve your doctor prescribing a mix of drugs to reduce pain and inflammation. This includes acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), muscle relaxants, and oral corticosteroids.