CERVICAL SPONDYLITIS

INTRODUCTION

Cervical spondylitis is also known as cervical osteoarthritis or degenerative osteoarthritis. It is an age-related disorder which occurs due to the degeneration of spinal discs in the neck area. The discs may break down and lead to fluid loss. The ligaments become weak and lose their normal strength. The abnormal growths can occur in the bones of neck and these are called osteophytes. Osteophytes cause narrowing of the spinal column leading to stenosis of spine. Pain and stiffness in the neck area are the most common symptoms of cervical spondylitis.

More than 80 percent of people above the age of 60 years are affected by cervical spondylitis. But now-a-days, due to current lifestyle, it has become common in young adults also. In most of the people, cervical spondylitis shows no symptoms but with increasing damage, the symptoms are quite visible. There are various non-surgical treatments available for curing it.

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF CERVICAL SPONDYLITIS?     

With increasing age, the cervical bones, cartilages and ligaments wear and tear. This leads to the occurrence of cervical spondylitis. Some of the following changes which take place are:

• Dehydration of the discs – Discs are the cushion like structures which are present in between the vertebrae. They shrink and dry as the age increases. This leads to more bone to bone contact, thereby damaging the vertebrae.
• Herniation of disks – When cracks appear on the exterior surface of the discs, the internal soft material squeezes out of the disk. This presses the spinal cord and the surrounding nerves.
• Stiffness of ligaments – Ligaments are the cords of tissues which join bone to bone. They get stiff due to increasing age leading to stiffness of neck.
• Bone spurs – When discs break, the body produces extra amount of bone along the edges of vertebrae. These are called bone spurs or osteophytes. They can cause compression of the spinal cord and nerve roots.
• Osteoarthritis – This is the degenerative disease of the bones. It leads to damage of the intervertebral discs between the cervical vertebrae.

WHAT ARE THE RISK FACTORS OF CERVICAL SPONDYLITIS?

Some of the factors make a person at more risk of developing cervical spondylitis. The factors are:

• Increasing age
• Injuries of the neck
• Having a genetic predisposition
• Certain occupations like IT jobs
• Cigarette smoking
• Stress

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF CERVICAL SPONDYLITIS?

Cervical spondylitis shows no symptoms in most of the cases. But when the nerves or spinal cord get compressed, then symptoms appear. Following are the common signs and symptoms of cervical spondylitis:

• Pain in neck
• Stiffness in neck
• Headache
• Tingling sensation and numbness in arms, hands, legs or feet
• Difficulty in walking
• Muscle weakness
• Lack of coordination
• Loss of bowel control
• Urinary incontinence

WHAT ARE THE COMPLICATIONS WHICH ARISE WITH CERVICAL SPONDYLITIS?

Cervical spondylitis is associated with following complications:

• Nerve compression
• Spinal stenosis
• Permanent disability

HOW THE DIAGNOSIS OF CERVICAL SPONDYLITIS IS DONE?

The doctor will ask about the signs and symptoms to the patient. He will check for neck stiffness, see the range of movement of neck and watches his/her gait. He may suggest some of the following screening tests for the evaluation of the disease:

• X-ray
• CT scan
• MRI scan
• Nerve conduction test
• Electromyography

CHANDIGARH AYURVED CENTER’S MEDICATIONS FOR THE TREATMENT OF CERVICAL SPONDYLITIS

Here are some of the medications of Chandigarh ayurved center which are used for the treatment of cervical spondylitis:

1. Nerve up tablet

These tablets are pure ayurvedic formulation. Nerve up tablets help in balancing the vata doshas and kapha dosha. It acts as nervine stimulant. It shows effective results in improving the central nervous system. It contains natural ingredients like shudha kuchala, shudha shilajeet, praval pishti etc. This tablet helps in Backache, knee pain, headache, bronchitis, depression.

Recommended Dosage- Take 1 tablet twice daily.

2. Back Care Tablet

CAC Back Care tablet is an herbal and purely Ayurvedic formulation. This tablet helps by strengthening your back muscles in relieving back painwhether it be by sciatica, arthritis, kidney infections, infection of the spine and cancer of spinal cord. It helps to pacify Vata dosha and also helps in maintaining proper blood circulation. This is often used for mild to moderate pain all over the body and relaxes your muscles. It contains herbs that act as natural pain relievers.

Recommended Dosage: Take 1 tablet twice daily.

3. Pain-O-Kill Oil

This herbal oil provides good results in body pain, swelling, stiffness, & inflammation. Massage with this oil relieves pain, stiffness, & swelling. Pain-O-Kill oil is prepared from herbal ingredients like Jyotishmati, Kustha, Devdaru, Vatsnabh, Rasna, etc. These all ingredients show anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, & analgesic properties. The antioxidant nature removes all toxins out from the body. Anti-inflammatory & analgesic properties reduce inflammation & pain in the body.

Method of Application: Take few drops of oil in your hands after that gently massage over the affected area of your body pain.

4. Pain–O-Kill Syrup

It is an herbal remedy that helps to get relief from the severe pain which is associated with cervical spondylitis. It includes ingredients like- Hadjod stem, Ashwagandha root, Shalaki gum, Suranjan sweet gum, Punarnava root, Methi seeds, Nirgundi leaves, Garlic bulb, etc. This syrup helps in reducing the stiffness & rejuvenates the body tissues. It helps to improve muscle tone. This syrup has a good result in reducing the inflammation.

Recommended Dosage – Take 2 teaspoonfuls twice a day before meal with normal water.

5. Panchsakar Churna

Panchsakar Churna is an Ayurvedic formulation that consists of five ingredients named as – Saindhav Lavana, Swarnapatri, Shatapushpa, Shunti, and Balaharitaki. It is naturally detoxifying, thus it removes the toxins from the body. This churna is mainly beneficial in cases of disc prolapsed, cervical pain, lower back pain, ligament sprain, neck stiffness, sprain in muscle, tendons. Panchsakar churna helps to relax the muscles around the neck and also reduces the inflammation.

Recommended Dosage – Take 1 teaspoonful once a day with Luke warm water at bedtime.

6. Detox Standard Powder

These herbal sachets are prepared from ingredients such as  Sutshekhar ras, Parwal pishti, Shukta pishti, Giloy, Kamdudha ras, Shwet parpati that gives calming effect on the stomach. These sachets have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antacid like properties. It mainly affects in lowering the pitta dosha of the body and maintains proper digestion of the body.

Recommended Dosage:Take one sachet twice daily with normal water.