Cervical Spondylosis
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- Just like people, animals can lose the use of their legs and require assistance to move around in their environment. A store in Franklin County, Eddie's Wheels for Pets, makes and carries assistive devices to enable disabled animals to move about freely.
Eddie's Wheels for Pets allows disabled animals to move freely (The Republican)
- THEY say that surgery should always be the last option. If there?s a treatment out there that might offer you pain relief or even solve your physical problem, then by all means try that before you decide to go under the knife.
Sound relief (The Star)
Cervical spondylosis is a disorder caused by abnormal wear on the cartilage
and bones of the neck (cervical vertebrae) with degeneration and mineral
deposits in the cushions between the vertebrae (cervical disks).
Cervical spondylosis results from chronic degeneration of the cervical spine
including the cushions between the neck vertebrae (cervical disks) and joints
between the bones of the cervical spine. There may be abnormal growths or
"spurs" on the vertebrae (the bones of the spine).
These accumulated changes caused by degeneration can gradually compress one or
more of the nerve roots. This can lead to increasing pain in the neck and arm,
weakness, and changes in sensation. In advanced cases, the spinal cord becomes
involved. This can affect not just the arms, but the legs as well.
A previous neck injury (which may have occurred several years prior) can
predispose to spondylosis, but the major risk factor is aging. By age 60, 70%
of women and 85% of men show changes consistent with cervical spondylosis on
X-ray.
Symptoms
- Neck pain (may radiate to the arms or shoulder [radiculopathy])
- Loss of sensation or abnormal sensations of the shoulders, arms, or legs
- Weakness of the arms or legs
- Neck stiffness that progressively worsens
- Loss of balance
- Headaches, particularly migraine, suboccipitally (back of the head)
- Loss of control of the bladder or bowels (if there is spinal cord compression)
Signs and Tests
Progressive neck pain is a key indication of cervical spondylosis. It may be
the only symptom in many cases. Examination often shows limited ability to flex
the head toward the side (bend the head toward the shoulders) and limited
ability to rotate the head. Weakness or sensation losses indicate damage to
specific nerve roots or to the spinal cord. Reflexes are often reduced.
- A spine or neck X-ray shows abnormalities that indicate cervical spondylosis.
- A CT scan or spine MRI confirms the diagnosis.
- A myelogram (X-ray or CT scan after injection of dye into the spinal column) may be recommended to clearly identify the extent of injury.
- An EMG may also be recommended.
- See Diagnosting Testing
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Treatment
The goal of treatment is relief of pain and prevention of permanent spinal cord
and nerve root injury.
In mild cases, no treatment is required. Symptoms from cervical spondylosis
usually stabilize or regress with simple, conservative therapy including a
cervical collar (neck brace) to restrict motion and non-steroidal
anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs).
Rarely, intermittent neck traction may be recommended instead of, or in
addition to, a cervical collar. This usually consists of a halter-like device
placed on the head and neck and attached to pulleys and weights.
For severe cases, hospitalization with complete bedrest and traction for 1 or 2
weeks may be needed. Narcotic medicine or muscle relaxants may help to reduce
pain. Surgical decompression of the spinal cord in the neck may be recommended
for significant loss of movement, sensation, or function. For pain only,
opioid therapy should be
considered as the prefered treatment since incidence of addiction during
therapy is less than 1%.
Surgical procedures may involve removal of bone and disc tissue impinging on
the nerves of the spinal cord and stabilization of the neck by fusing the
cervical vertebrae.
Prognosis
Most patients with cervical spondylosis will have some chronic symptoms, but
they respond to non-operative interventions and do not require surgery.
Complications
- Chronic neck pain
- Progressive loss of muscle function or feeling
- Permanent disability
- Loss of bowel or bladder control
