Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Arthritis of the Neck - Symptoms and Pain Relief


If you have a chronically stiff neck, chances are you should see your doctor. He can help diagnose the problem. If it is arthritis of the neck, an x-ray can determine that. Read on to find out more about symptoms and treatment options...

Arthritis Of The Neck is also known as neck arthritis or cervical spondylosis. It is a degenerative disease so basically the older we get the more liable we are to have this condition. Unfortunately many people suffer from it.

What is it?

Around the age of 40 (men have a tendency to get it earlier than women), is when this disease comes into play.

What causes it? Well, as we age bone spurs form on the vertebrae and our body does this because it wants to stabilize the vertebral joints and it does so by increasing the area - hence the extra bone formations. The thing is that these bone spurs can put pressure on the spinal nerves, and possibly the spinal cord which equals pain! Because of this pressure and depending exactly where it is, it can cause numbness and even weakness in the bladder or the bowels. Other symptoms include headaches, weakness or pain in the arms or legs as well as becoming 'clumsy'.

Of course, your range of motion is also affected and it becomes painful to turn your neck - and how often do you do that - many times in a minute even. It can start with just a stiff neck but that's a symptom and if this stiffness doesn't go away, then it's time to go and see your health care professional so he can check it out. These symptoms can appear on an x ray well before the person has a problem with a stiff neck..
Treatment Options:

So if you have been diagnosed with arthritis of the neck, there are some treatment options. First and foremost would be to restrict movement in that area and sometimes a cervical collar is worn. In time, if this doesn't help enough than a neck brace can be fitted around the neck. Sometimes surgery helps but then your doctor will be able to advise you. Your doctor may prescribe pain medication for you.

If you develop a stiff neck then consider stress relief. Join a yoga class. Most of us carry around a huge amount of stress in our necks and shoulders. You could buy a special neck pillow to ease your neck whilst sleeping. Another idea would be an infrared massager which can bring much needed relief.

Another idea would be to visit your local health store to see what they have to say. For example capsaicin is an ingredient of chili peppers and a cream containing this can also bring relief to your neck pain. Be careful with this and only start with a small area, in case you have an unwanted reaction. Tart cherries also naturally reduce inflammation and you can buy concentrated tart cherry juice and drink it on a regular basis to see if it reduces your pain.

Arthritis of the neck has, to date, no cure unfortunately. However, there are ways to make life with this condition easier.

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