Cervical Spondylosis:
Cervical
spondylosis is a
condition that causes deterioration of the vertebrae, discs, and ligaments in
the neck or cervical spine. Other names are arthritis of the neck,
cervical osteoarthritis, or degenerative osteoarthritis. The
cervical spine refers to the seven small vertebrae that form the neck. They
start at the base of the skull.
In
cervical spondylosis, the edges of the vertebrae often develop bone spurs
called osteophytes. Over time, the discs get thinner, and their ability to
absorb shock is lost, increasing the risk of symptoms. Swollen neck
joints, called facet joints, can press or pinch nearby nerve roots or the
spinal cord itself, resulting in tingling or “pins and needles” in the
extremities and sometimes even pain in the limbs. In some cases, there may be a
loss of feeling and coordination. Some people may have difficulty walking.
Most
people experience degenerative changes as they get older. The AAOS add that
over 85 percent of people over the age of 60 years live with cervical
spondylosis.
Cervical
spondylosis is usually symptomless. When symptoms do occur, they tend to
resolve over time, often without treatment. If symptoms occur, treatment can
help to reduce the impact. Muscle relaxants are useful if the person has neck
spasms, in which the neck muscles tighten suddenly. Options include
cyclobenzaprine and similar muscle relaxants.
Symptoms of Cervical spondylosis:
In most cases,
there is just a pain in the neck, stiffness, and the occasional headache.
Neck pain may spread to the shoulders, arms and hands, and the base of the
skull. Moving the head may make the pain worse.
Neck stiffness is
more common after a long period of inactivity, for example, after sleeping.
Headaches tend to start at the back of the head and then gradually move to the
upper half of the front. Sometimes, these changes result in a compression of
the blood vessels. This can affect the blood supply to the brain, possibly
resulting in dizziness and even blackouts.
Other, less
frequent, problems may include loss of bowel or bladder function and
coordination difficulties. Arms and legs may become weak, and there may be lack
of dexterity. Some people may have dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, if
the bones press against the esophagus.
- Hot and Cold Therapy
- Herbal Cure
- Yoga
- Diet & Nutrition
Hot and cold therapy reduces swelling by
causing a decrease in the diameter of blood vessels. This can also numb deep
pain caused by cervical spondylosis. It is also useful in reducing muscle
spasms.
Herbal Cure
If you have been diagnosed with cervical
spondylosis, there are various alternatives you can opt to cure the pain.
Intake of turmeric, fenugreek, ginger, triphla, aloe vera and guggulu can help
you overcome the pain. Planning for Ayurvedic treatment? Here’s what you need
to keep in mind. It requires general changes in a person’s diet. The way he or
she lives life also defines a healthy lifestyle. For better results, in order
to get rid of cervical spondylosis, it is important to stay away from eating
fried food or food that is either sour or bitter.
Neck Massage
One
of the best ways to cure deep pain is getting a massage done. This is a great
way to relax your muscles. A gentle therapy can work out tight muscles and
relieve muscle spasms. In most of the cases, physical therapy is the first
nonsurgical treatment.
You can consult the doctor and ask for
specific exercises to relieve pain and stretch weakened or strained muscles.
Generally, posture therapy or the use of traction to gently stretch the joints
advised in cervical spondylosis.
Yoga
Most of them have
started realising the importance and benefits of yoga and pilates. Both the exercises
work on the mind-body connection to help you focus on your breathing. Yoga and
pilates relax your muscle and strengthen your spinal muscles. However, you can
consult the doctor before following any of the exercises.
Calcium, phosphorus, Vitamin D and a host
of hormonal, dietary and emotional factors play a major role in the integrity
of the locomotor system. The delicate balance between these factors permits
many things to go wrong in this system-for instance a deficiency in calcium
will cause the entire matrix of the bone to become weaker, or an upset in the Calcium: Phosphorus ratio can cause
demineralisation of the bone. Proper diet should be consumed to maintain our
bones and joints in a healthy condition. Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian
diet has their unique roles in maintaining the bone mineral metabolism of the
body.
Non-vegetarian diet
Meat is a rich source of sulphur which can
change the pH of blood. Same impact is observed in the case of fried foods,
spicy foods and sour foods. Meat
has the heaviest acid load due to the rich sulphur content which increases the
acidity of the blood leading to the demineralization of bones. Many surveys have demonstrated
that post-menopausal women who are vegetarians have a higher bone mineral
content as compared to their non-vegetarian (omnivorous) counter parts.
Furthermore there is a very strong
relationship between joint pains like 'frozen shoulder and cervical spondylosis
and the kind of food eaten. Fried foods, spicy, oily foods, excessive meats and
refined foods like sweets, confectionery, bread and other refined wheat
products are the main incriminating factors in joint diseases. The kind of food
leads to excess acid load in the blood which the kidneys are unable to cope
with. Hence this acid cause’s inflammation of all joints, deterioration of
intervertebral discs hence the disc compression.
Constipation also initiates the formation
of toxins in the gut, which get absorbed into the blood and increase its
acidity. This, too, contributes, along with other factors, in the development
of CS and bone demineralisation.
Hormones like oestrogen, testosterone,
adrenocortical hormones, thyroid and growth hormone also play a very major role
in the maintenance of normal body structure and function. A strong link between
hormonal activity and the kind of food we eat has been established in several
studies.
Vegetarian diet
A vegetarian diet, which is rich in fibre
and, in the uncooked form, contains a lot of vitamins and minerals proves very
beneficial as it prevents constipation, removes toxic matter from the
gastrointestinal tract, thereby preventing increased acidity of the blood. The
increased amounts of minerals and vitamins in vegetarian foods contribute
richly to the smooth functioning of bone metabolism. The acidity (sulphur
related) of a non-vegetarian diet initiates and perpetuates bone
demineralisation as seen by serial bone mineral density studies done by direct
photon absorptiometry. In contrast the vegetarian diet which contains predominantly
uncooked food doesn't have this disadvantage. However, fried foods, spicy foods
and excessively sour foods-whether vegetarian or non-vegetarian are detrimental
to bone, cartilage and joint integrity.
Lacto vegetarianism
It is a common conception that vegetarians
lack calcium in their diet and as a result they suffer from bone
demineralisation leading to osteoporosis and osteomalacia. This is not true in
the case of a lactovegetarian because milk and its products are a very rich
source of calcium which is easily available to man. However, there are reports
and it is our experience that as age advances the digestion of milk becomes
more and more difficult owing to decreased gastric acid, enzyme content. The maldigestion of milk not
only gives gastrointestinal discomfort but also gives an increased acid burden
to the body which leads to joint pains and aggravation of arthritis.
Cottage cheese (also known as paneer or clabbered milk) and whey (the water
obtained during the preparation of cottage cheese) are excellent calcium
sources for a vegetarian and are much less toxic than the non-vegetarian
sources of protein.
Analysis of the available data shows that
vegetarian diets prevent the progression of neck and shoulder pain and the
demineralization of bones due to the high fibre, vitamin & mineral content
and low acid content.
Vegetarian sources of calcium
A. Milk
B. Cottage cheese
C. Almonds
D. Pulses (though bound to phytate)
E. Seeds especially Sesame , Sunflower
F. Cheddar Cheese
G. Swiss Cheese
H. Soya beans and their products like TOFU
(bean curd)
Factors preventing calcium absorption
A. Foods
containing oxalic acids. e.g. spinach, lotus stem, horsegram
B. Lack
of Vitamin D.
C. Overuse
of proteins like meat, fish, poultry, eggs, etc.
D. Excessive
use common salt, alcohol, coffee, tobacco, fat and soft drinks containing
phosphorus
Easy
dietary tips for Cervical Spondylosis
Apart from Physical exercise, Meditation
and Yoga diet plays a very important part in decreasing the problem of cervical
spondylosis. Patient must have four meals a day which includes salad of steamed
vegetables, raw vegetables, whole-wheat bread sprouts and milk. Intake of Vitamin
D, Vitamin C, Phosphorus, Calcium, Proteins (Soya Protein from plant source) are
also useful. Taking lemon juice mixed with salt at least 2-3 times a day.
Additional intake of Chebulic Myrobalan (Haritaki) following meals also found
very effective. Habitual consumption of 2-3 cloves of Garlic in the morning
decreases the problem of Cervical Spondylosis.
Fruits and vegetables- Vitamins C & A
content of fruits and vegetables fight against free radicals responsible for
inflammation and help to reduce painful swelling around the neck.
- Fish, nuts and oil seeds are rich sources of Omega-3 Fatty acids and Vitamin E acting against inflammation.
- Apple, Garlic, Ginger and Turmeric are also Anti-inflammatory.
- Avoid Red meat, White potato and Coffee as it increase acid load in the body Include Fruit Juice and Vegetable Soup in the routine diet.
- Diet rich in mono-unsaturated Fatty acid help to reduce inflammation.
- Avoid spicy, hot, salty oily foods
- Replace rice with wheat
- Add more bitter vegetables like Bitter gourd and Drumstick in the routine food.
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