With the accelerated pace of society and changes in the living and working environment, the incidence of cervical spondylosis is rising and the age of onset is becoming younger as the number of people engaging in low head work increases.

According to the different tissues and structures involved, cervical spondylosis is divided into: cervical, nerve root, spinal cord, sympathetic, vertebral artery, and other types (mainly refers to esophageal compression type). If two or more types are present at the same time, it is called “mixed type”.

01 Cervical Cervical Spondylosis

The neck is straight and painful, the whole shoulder and back are painful and stiff, and it is impossible to do head nodding, head tilting and head turning activities, and it is in a slanting neck posture. When it is necessary to turn the neck, the trunk must be turned at the same time, and dizziness may also occur. A few patients have reflex shoulder, arm and hand pain, swelling and numbness, and the symptoms are not aggravated when coughing or sneezing.

02 Nerve root type cervical spondylosis

Neck pain and neck stiffness are the earliest symptoms, and there may also be pain in the shoulder and the medial border of the scapula, and radiating pain or numbness in the upper limbs. Symptoms are aggravated by neck movement, coughing, sneezing, exertion and deep breathing. The affected side of the upper limb feels heavy, grip strength is reduced, and sometimes there is a fall of holding objects. There may be vasomotor nerve symptoms, such as swelling of the hands. Muscle atrophy can occur in later stages.

03 Spinal cord cervical spondylosis

The majority of patients first experience numbness and heaviness in one or both lower limbs, and then gradually experience difficulty in walking, tightness of the lower limb muscles, slow lifting, inability to walk quickly, and the need to hold the handrail when walking up and down stairs. In severe cases, the gait is unsteady and walking is difficult. There is a feeling of stepping on cotton in both feet. Some patients have bladder and rectal dysfunction, such as urinary weakness, urinary frequency, urinary urgency, incomplete urination, urinary incontinence or urinary retention and other urinary disorders, constipation, and hypogonadism. If the disease develops further, the patient has to walk on crutches or with the help of others, until there is spastic paralysis of both lower limbs, bed-ridden, unable to take care of themselves.

04 Sympathetic cervical spondylosis

Sympathetic cervical spondylosis has many symptoms, such as dizziness or vertigo, headache or migraine, headache, occipital pain, poor sleep, memory loss, difficulty in concentrating, eye distension, dryness or tearfulness, changes in vision, blurred vision (as if there is a fog in front of the eyes), ringing in the ears, ear blockage, hearing loss, nasal congestion, allergic rhinitis, pharyngeal sensation of a foreign body, dry mouth, palpitations, chest tightness, changes in the heart rate, cardiac arrhythmia, changes in blood pressure, etc. The patient has to move the neck a lot, lowered the head for a long time, and then walk with the help of others. Much neck activity, obvious when prolonged low head, computer work or exertion, better after rest.

05 Vertebral artery type cervical spondylosis

Episodes of vertigo, diplopia with nystagmus may occur. Sometimes accompanied by nausea, vomiting, tinnitus or hearing loss, related to the change of neck position. Sudden weakness of the lower limbs with sudden collapse, but conscious, mostly occurs when the head and neck are in a certain position. Occasionally there is numbness and abnormal sensation in the limbs. Transient paralysis and episodic coma may occur.

Neck pain” is not equal to cervical spondylosis, medical experts believe that cervical spondylosis will only be suspected when the following symptoms persist, such as frequently crooked neck, repeated “pillow”, numbness of the fingers, neck, occipital pain, and inability to turn the neck, etc. To confirm the diagnosis of cervical spondylosis, please refer to the “Cervical Spondylosis Diagnostic Guidelines”. To confirm the diagnosis of cervical spondylosis, please go to the hospital for a clear diagnosis.

How to prevent cervical spondylosis

01 Strictly prevent acute head, neck and shoulder trauma

Head and neck injuries, bruises and whiplash injuries are prone to cervical spine and its surrounding soft tissue injuries, directly or indirectly cause cervical spondylosis, so should be actively prevented.

02 Correct bad posture in life

Avoid working with the head down for a long time, because this posture makes the neck muscles and ligaments suffer from strain for a long time, which prompts the cervical intervertebral discs to degenerate.

03 Prevention of chronic strain injury

People who are engaged in desk work for a long time should increase the rest and activity time between jobs to enhance the blood circulation of the whole body and eliminate the local muscle fatigue, so as to prevent and alleviate the cervical spine’s strain injury.

04 Avoid wind-cold and dampness

In summer, pay attention to avoid fans and air conditioners blowing directly on the neck, do not blow cold air directly after sweating, or rinse the head and neck with cold water, or sleep on a cool pillow.

05 Correctly choose the height of the pillow

The right pillow is important for the prevention and treatment of cervical spondylosis. General supine pillow height of a fist, side sleeper pillow height of a fist and a half, about 10 CM. pillow to buckwheat skin is good, the amount of filling should be appropriate to maintain a certain degree of hardness and elasticity. Too much elasticity of the pillow is easy to cause neck muscle fatigue and injury. Used to lie on their backs, it is best to put a small pillow under the neck to maintain the physiological curvature of the cervical spine. Those who are used to lying on the side should fill the pillow into the gap between the face and shoulder to reduce the burden on the neck.

06 Medical sports health care

People without any symptoms of cervical spondylosis can perform slow flexion, extension, left and right lateral flexion and rotation of the neck several times a day in the morning and evening. Strengthen the isometric resistance contraction exercise of neck and back muscles.