Neck Arthritis: Cervical Spondylosis

There are many kinds of body aches and neck pain is one of those. How would you know if you are suffering from a simple neck pain or a serious arthritis? Read on and learn about the causes, symptoms, treatment options and other facts about neck arthritis.

What is neck arthritis? Degenerative disk disease, cervical spondylosis and neck osteoarthritis are alternative terms for arthritis in the neck. It is a disorder or change in the neck which can cause pain and affect the ability to use and turn it normally. This condition can get worse gradually and movement can only be achieved thereafter with a walker or cane.
 
What are the causes? The causes of arthritis in the neck are abnormal wear on the bones and cartilage of the neck, an autoimmune disease called rheumatoid arthritis or degenerative change due to aging.

If a person has experienced neck trauma for several times already, there is an increased possibility that he will have neck arthritis later on. The trauma can be due to recreational or work related stress such as carrying heavy loads on the head, falls, sports injuries, professional gymnastics or dancing.    

What are the Symptoms?

The most common symptom of neck arthritis is stiff neck that radiates to the shoulders, arms and even the head. This pain seems like a burning, stabbing or dull ache.

Another symptom is the difficulty of bending or turning the neck. These symptoms may worsen with continuous extending, turning and bending of the neck. Numbness, stiffness, weakness, loss or abnormal sensations and difficulty in moving the arms are also symptoms.

Other symptoms are muscle pain, leg pain, loss of balance, clumsiness, headaches and loss of bladder or bowel controls.    

Who can Suffer from Neck Arthritis?

Stiff neck is very common; approximately 10% of the adult population suffers from stiff neck at least once during their lifetime. Between the ages 55 to 64, 28% of females and 40% of males have disk problems. Statistics also shows that more men (30%) are affected by neck arthritis than women (50%).

Sidebar: This group of articles on body parts affected by arthritis includes eye arthritis, foot arthritis, arthritis in thumb, arthritis trigger finger and hand arthritis.

A study reveals that men suffer from neck arthritis at a younger age than women. According to a study in Mayo Clinic, this condition usually occurs at the age of 40 and progresses after.

What about the Physician’s Diagnosis?

Arthritis on the neck can be diagnosed through X-rays and flexibility tests. Physicians diagnose neck arthritis through imaging techniques and neck flexibility tests which include head rotation and side by side head tilting.

Imaging techniques on the other hand are performed through X-rays. Imaging diagnostics is used to see anatomical changes (e.g. narrowing of disk space and canal) and bone spurs relative with the condition...