Most of us will encounter nagging neck pain in our life. For some, that neck pain becomes more chronic and debilitating. The symptoms of neck pain can widely vary. When your neck pain becomes unrelenting and affects your daily life, it’s time to seek treatment. You could have Cervical Osteoarthritis.
Cervical Osteoarthritis, also known as cervical spondylosis or arthritis in the neck, is acondition that occurs as the bones, discs, and joints in the neck wear down as we age.Cervical Osteoarthritis could cause headaches, radiating pain, stiffness, and other cervicalissues.
Cervical Osteoarthritis becomes more common as we age—approximately 85 percent of people over 60 experience cervical spondylosis1. In most cases, cervical spondylosis responds to conservative treatment, including medication, injections, and physical therapy. Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent cervical spondylosis as it is an age-related deterioration. You can do things to take care of your neck, like practicing a correct posture, taking breaks to stretch throughout the day, and exercises to strengthen the neck that a physical therapist can provide.
Symptoms of Cervical Osteoarthritis include:
- Stiffness and pain that worsens when the neck is moved
- A nagging soreness in the neck
- Muscle Spasms
- A clicking or grinding sound when the neck moves
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Pain that is worse in the morning but improves as the day goes on
- Radiates to the shoulders and between the shoulder blades
- Disrupts sleep
- Feels tender when the neck is pressed
A primary treatment goal of cervical Osteoarthritis is to relieve pain, restore function and prevent nerve compression. Sadly there is no one size fits all approach. Working with your doctor to create a specific treatment plan for your symptoms and individual symptoms is crucial. Dr. Payam Moazzaz can help create an individualized treatment plan to get you out of pain and back to enjoying doing the things you love.
Dr. Payam Moazzaz is a board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon in California specializing inrobotic-assisted minimally invasive spine surgery.
1. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17685-cervical-spondylosis