Spondylosis Treatment in Duncan, Greenville, and Spartanburg, SC
What is Spondylosis?
Spondylosis is a disease in which the cartilage and bones in the spine wear down in a way that isn’t normal. It is a common cause of neck pain that doesn’t go away.
Spondylosis Symptoms
Over time, the changes to the spine can put pressure on one or more nerve roots. When the disease gets worse, it affects the spinal cord. This can hurt more than just the arms. It can also hurt the legs.
This could be caused by normal wear and tear. They may be more common in people who are very busy at work or in sports.
Symptoms of spondylosis usually get worse over time, but they can start or get worse all of a sudden. Some of the signs are:
- Pain that can be mild or so bad you can’t move
- Pain over the blade of the shoulder
- Pain that sometimes travels to the upper arm, wrist, or fingers
- Getting stiffer in the neck over time
- Rarely, numbness or strange feelings in the shoulders, arms, or legs
- Especially in the back of the head, headaches
Spondylosis Treatment
How spondylosis is treated depends on how bad it is. The goal of treatment is to relieve pain, help you do as many of your normal things as possible, and keep the spinal cord and nerves from getting permanently damaged.
Nonsurgical treatments include but are not limited to:
- Medications – Over-the-counter pain medications like ibuprofen can help relieve pain and swelling. However, if these do not help, you may also try:
- Corticosteroids
- Muscle relaxants
- Anti-seizure medications can help relieve pain from damaged nerves
- Antidepressants can help ease neck pain from spondylosis
- Regular exercise – Keeping busy will help you get better faster, even if you have to change some of your routines temporarily because of neck pain. People are less likely to have neck and low back pain if they walk every day
- Heat or ice – Putting heat or ice on a sore neck can help ease the pain
- Using a soft neck brace – The brace lets the muscles in your neck rest. But a neck brace shouldn’t be worn for more than a few hours at a time because it can weaken neck muscles and make the neck stiff over time
- Physical therapy – A physical therapist can show you routines that will help you stretch and strengthen the muscles in your neck and shoulders. This could be one of the best ways to treat pain and stiffness. Some people with spondylosis can benefit from compression, which can help make more room in the spine if nerve roots are being pinched
If conservative treatment doesn’t work or if neurological symptoms like weakness in your arms or legs get worse, you may need spine surgery to give your spinal cord and nerve roots more space.
During the surgery, a herniated disk, bone spurs, or part of a spine might be taken out. Bone grafts and metal may be used to join together a piece of your neck.
Spondylosis Care in South Carolina
Please make an appointment with a CONA spine specialist at one of our locations if you experience spondylosis symptoms. Delaying a diagnosis can make your symptoms and the disease causing them worse.