Is cervical spondylosis serious?

Written by Cheng Bin
Orthopedics
Updated on September 21, 2024
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The severity of cervical spondylosis largely depends on the clinical symptoms of the patient. If the patient with cervical spondylosis experiences discomfort and stiffness in the neck, along with headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, hearing loss, unsteady walking, a sensation of stepping on cotton, numbness and weakness in both upper limbs, and swelling pain, it indicates that the cervical spondylosis is very serious and has caused significant compression on the vertebral artery and spinal nerve roots. Such patients need to be actively treated, and if necessary, surgical treatment should be carried out, involving the removal of the intervertebral disc and decompressive surgery to expand the spinal canal.

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Written by Li Jie
Orthopedics
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Cervical spondylosis cupping locations

We can roughly divide into two main categories. The first category is the Ashi points. What this means is using the pain point as the location for cupping. We can press the most painful part and use that as the center point for cupping; this is one method. The second method is the meridian acupoint method. We can perform a cupping treatment on the acupoints in the neck area, through which the treatment flows. For example, acupoints such as the Dazhui, Fengchi, and Fengmen in the neck area can all serve as the central points for cupping.

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Written by Cheng Bin
Orthopedics
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Hot compress method for cervical spondylosis

Regarding the method of hot compress for cervical spondylosis, there are many methods used clinically. For example, one can actively use a salt bag or a hot water bottle for hot compresses, or use stir-fried bran for hot compresses twice a day, each time for half an hour or more to achieve more obvious effects. The main purpose of hot compress is to promote local blood circulation, thereby effectively improving the clinical symptoms of the patient's cervical spondylosis. Additionally, apart from hot compresses, patients with cervical spondylosis should also avoid bowing their heads for long periods and keep their necks from staying in one position for too long. Try to keep the neck muscles relaxed. Regular activities like swimming, flying kites, or playing badminton can help strengthen the neck muscles, thus better protecting the cervical spine and alleviating the clinical symptoms of cervical spondylosis.

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Written by Li Jie
Orthopedics
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Does cervical spondylosis hurt?

Cervical spondylosis is a very common disease in clinical practice, and it has many pathological types. Generally, we divide it into nerve root type cervical spondylosis, spinal cord type cervical spondylosis, local type cervical spondylosis, vertebral artery type cervical spondylosis, sympathetic nerve type cervical spondylosis, and mixed type cervical spondylosis. Pain is a major symptom in these types of cervical spondylosis, but some cervical spondylosis do not primarily present with pain, and the pain experienced can vary widely. For example, the pain in local type cervical spondylosis primarily manifests as localized pain in the cervical region; in nerve root type cervical spondylosis, the pain is typically a shooting pain in the extremities, particularly radiating pain in the upper limbs; in spinal cord type cervical spondylosis, the pain is not very typical and mainly presents as weakness in the limbs; in vertebral artery type and sympathetic nerve type cervical spondylosis, the primary manifestation is pain in the head, with less noticeable pain in the limbs. Thus, while pain is a common symptom in patients with cervical spondylosis, the characteristics of the pain vary.

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Written by Li Jin
Orthopedics
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How to alleviate cervical spondylosis?

Patients with cervical spondylosis are advised to do the following, which can help alleviate the symptoms of the condition. Patients should develop correct habits of using their necks in daily life, such as avoiding prolonged sitting with the head bowed down, and move the neck appropriately after sitting for a long time; they can also perform some medical neck exercises; additionally, it is important to use a slightly lower pillow during sleep and to keep the neck warm. These measures can help maintain the physiological curvature of the cervical spine and improve symptoms of neck discomfort. When patients with cervical spondylosis experience symptoms such as pain, they can also use anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving medications, and apply methods like heat therapy to improve symptoms; when the symptoms are severe, it is necessary to visit the hospital for further medical consultation, to clarify the specific condition, and then receive targeted treatment.

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Written by Li Jie
Orthopedics
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Symptoms of cervical spondylosis

Cervical spondylosis is a very common clinical disease, which is classified into different types, each with distinct symptomatic characteristics. Let's discuss them broadly. Local type cervical spondylosis primarily manifests with local cervical pain, neck stiffness, and restricted neck movement. Cervical radiculopathy mainly features symptoms such as upper limb sensory changes, numbness, radiating pain, or weakness in the extremities. Myelopathy type cervical spondylosis presents with symptoms like weakness in the limbs, unstable walking, urinary or fecal dysfunction, or even severe symptoms like paralysis of the limbs. Sympathetic and vertebral artery type cervical spondylosis mainly have symptoms including headache, dizziness, blurred vision, nausea, unclear vision, and excessive sweating, among others. There is also a special type called esophageal cervical spondylosis, where patients might experience symptoms like esophageal compression.