Spondylosis Treatment
in Delhi
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Spondylosis is a form of spine degeneration that can have an impact on your spine at any level, leading to discomfort and pain that can worsen over time. Hence, it is crucial to treat it in its initial stages. Read through the article to learn about the best spondylosis treatment in Delhi.
What is spondylosis?
It is a throbbing regressive spine disorder. It is caused by the joints and spinal discs altering from a lifetime ablation on your spine. These changes can make it tougher to make small movements on your back, leading to intense discomfort.
As you get older, your body adjusts to your shifting circumstances. Your hair might turn gray, or you might experience extreme hair fall. These are some of the natural things that occur while you age. Similarly, spondylosis is nothing but a reaction to the aging process. During this condition, your spinal discs degenerate due to aging. This degeneration lowers their cushioning ability and creates a stiff position for your spine. Therefore, as the spine becomes stiffer, easy activities become tougher.
Around 85 % of people who are above age 60 have spondylosis which is one of the most common progressive conditions that affects your neck. If neglected, spondylosis can have a huge impact on your lifestyle.
Who is at higher risk for getting spondylosis?
Along with your age, you are more susceptible to symptoms of spondylosis if you:
- Used to smoke cigarettes or still do
- Genetics issue
- Hassle your neck for a job, such as consistently looking overhead- for example, if you are a painter, or continuously looking downward- for example, if you are a floor installer or a plumber, or keeping your head in an inappropriate position for a longer duration.
- Have a past neck injury.
- Do heavy lifting jobs like construction workers.
- Are prone to plentiful vibrations like truck or bus drivers.
What are the causes of spondylosis?
As you age, your spine goes through several changes. Beginning in middle age, the discs in the middle of your vertebrae begin to change. These changes involve:
Your neck’s spinal discs slowly degenerate or wear down. Over time, discs become narrow, and your soft tissues lose a considerable amount of elasticity. There can also be a settling or collapse of your discs.
The normal aging process can lead to cracking or tearing some of the parts of your spinal disc. This is known as a herniated disc. This condition swells the spinal disc, compressing the surrounding spinal nerve or tissue. This can cause numbness, pain, or a tingling sensation.
This is an ongoing condition that degenerates cartilage in your joints. In this case, cartilage decays quicker than with common aging.
When the cartilage in your joints starts to break down or when your bones rub against each other straight on, unusual bone grows along the edges of your vertebrae. These growths are known as bone spurs or osteophytes.
What are the symptoms of spondylosis?
You might have spondylosis and not know about it. Symptoms usually include:
- Neck stiffness or pain. This might be the major symptom. Pain might worsen when you try to move your neck.
- A continuous soreness in the neck.
- Muscle spasms.
- A grinding, popping or clicking sound when you try to move your neck.
- Headaches.
- Dizziness.
How do doctors diagnose spondylosis?
The doctor will carry out a physical test to determine the symptoms and causes of your neck pain.
Symptoms and their seriousness give the doctor clues about the pressure your cervical spine is facing. During a physical test, a doctor might check your:
- Muscle reflexes and strength in your legs, arms, and hands.
- Reflexes.
- Neck flexibility.
- Your walking posture.
- Shoulder and neck, checking for trigger points- a tiny knot or bump in your neck or shoulder muscle that might be the root source of your tenderness or pain.
Sometimes doctors can diagnose this condition with the help of just a physical test, or a few times they might order tests to understand more about the symptoms and causes of your spondylosis. These tests might include the following:
- X-rays.
- CT scans-Computed tomography.
- MRI.
- Other tests such as myelogram or electromyogram.
What are the options available for spondylosis treatment in Delhi?
Spondylosis does not always have symptoms. Without any symptoms, you might not need any treatment.
When this condition causes symptoms, conventional treatments usually treat most cases. Dr. Amit Chugh may recommend:
You can ease your symptoms with the help of a few stretches and exercises. Physiotherapy concentrates on strengthening and stretching muscles and enhancing your overall posture. You might perform these exercises at home the same way as instructed by the doctor, or you might need the help of a physical therapist at a clinic. Your doctor will tell you how often and for how long you must follow these exercises, based on your condition and symptoms.
This can also help you relieve your pain. You will have to decide on your own to see if cold or heat best relieves your symptoms. Most of the time, you should use ice or heat for 20 minutes, and you should do this more than once a day. Massage is another conservative treatment option that might be tried on a few patients. But make sure to consult with your doctor if this is a good option to lower your pain.
Depending on how much pain and discomfort you are in, your doctor may recommend over-the-counter or prescription anti-inflammatory drugs like naproxen sodium or ibuprofen. Muscle relaxants like cyclobenzaprine can ease muscle spasms. For extreme arm pain caused by nerve impingement, gabapentin might reduce the pain.
Your doctor might recommend wearing a soft collar for a short period of time. This can restrict your neck movement and help strained muscles recuperate and rest. Wearing a brace or soft collar for longer periods can cause muscle atrophy. Make sure to wear this under professional guidance.
Steroids can be administered in the spine’s affected area. Drug injections can relieve your symptoms for the time being. Generally, there are three typical steroid injection processes:
- Cervical epidural block:- Arm or neck pain caused by disc herniation can be treated with a combination of anesthetic and steroid injections. This is injected in the epidural space, which is next to the spinal cord covering.
- Cervical facet joint block:- This injection is the combination of anesthetic and steroid, injected in the joints at the afflicted segments of your cervical spine.
- Radiofrequency ablation and media branch block:- This technique is used to treat and diagnose severe neck pain. If pain is eased with the help of anesthetic injection, that part is determined for treatment. Radiofrequency ablation includes damaging your nerves with sound waves that are causing joint pain.
For most of the serious spondylosis cases, like cervical radiculopathy and cervical myelopathy, a doctor might recommend surgery. During surgery, doctors might remove bone spurs, join vertebrae, or take out parts of the vertebrae to make more room for the spinal cord.
Note: Cervical radiculopathy is a pinching of your nerve at the nerve root.
Spine surgery is a complicated process and might involve a longer recovery. Your surgeon will consider your overall health, condition, and symptoms before recommending spinal surgery.
Usually, you can get rid of neck pain with the help of exercises and stretches. But if your neck pain lasts more than one or two weeks, reach out to us for further guidance.
Book an appointment with us to treat spondylosis or any spine issue you are dealing with. Dr. Amit Chugh is a highly experienced and professional spine surgeon and has been in this field for more than five years. He will make sure you receive the best spondylosis treatment in Delhi based on your condition and symptoms.
