Ayush Samadhaan Providing Complete Medicine Solution: Cervical Spondylosis

Cervical Spondylosis
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siteadmin on 16/09/2015 15:51:00


Cervical spondylosis is a 'wear and tear' of the vertebrae and discs in the
neck.To an extent, we all develop some degeneration in the vertebrae and discs
as we become older. It tends to start sometime after the age of about 30. One
feature of the degeneration is that the edges of the vertebrae often develop
small, rough areas of bone called osteophytes.
*Cervical spondylosis is a general term encompassing a number of degenerative
conditions 	*Degenerative disc disease (DDD) 	*Spinal stenosis 	*With or without
degenerative facet joints 	*With or without the formation of osteophytes 	*With
or without a herniated disc 	*One single component as a diagnosis is rare
Degenerative Disc Disease: The process is thought to begin in the annulus
fibrosis with changes to the structure and chemistry of the concentric layers
Over time, these layers suffer a loss of water content and proteoglycan, which
changes the disc’s mechanical properties, making it less resilient to stress
and strain
Facet Joints: Changes in disc structure and function can lead
to changes in the articular facets, especially hypertrophy (overgrowth),
resulting from the redirection of compressive loads from the anterior and middle
columns to the posterior elements
Osteophytes: There also may be hypertrophy of the vertebral bodies adjacent to
the degenerating disc; these bony overgrowths are known as osteophytes (or bone
spurs)
Herniated Nucleus Pulposus
*The progressive degeneration of a disc, or traumatic event, can lead to a
failure of the annulus to adequately contain the nucleus pulposus 	*This is
known as herniated nucleus pulposus (HNP) or a herniated disc 	*Varying degrees
	*Disc bulge 	*Mild symptoms 	*Usually go away with nonoperative treatment
	*Rarely an indication for surgery 	*Extrusion (herniation) 	*Moderate/severe
symptoms 	*Nonoperative treatment
Symptoms
*Neck pain 	*Shoulder pain 	*Arm pain 	*Dysthesias 	*Anesthesias 	*May resemble
carpel 	*tunnel syndrome, rotator 	*Cuff problems, or gout
Spinal Stenosis
*Grouped as “spinal stenosis” 	*Central stenosis 	*Narrowing of the central
part of the spinal canal 	*Foraminal stenosis 	*Narrowing of the foramen
resulting in pressure on the exiting nerve root 	*Symptoms 	*Neck pain 	*Pain,
dysthesias, anesthesias in arms and hands 	*Bilateral
Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy
*The most common type of spinal cord dysfunction in patients older than 55 years
	*Onset is usually insidious, with long periods of fixed disability and episodic
worsening 	*The first sign is commonly gait spasticity, followed by
upper-extremity numbness and loss of fine motor control in the hands 	*Unlike
most degenerative conditions of the back and neck, conservative treatment is not
indicated 	*Performing surgery relatively early (within 1 year of symptom onset)
is associated with a substantial improvement in neurologic prognosis 	*Delay in
surgical treatment can result in permanent impairment
Symptoms
*Pain in the neck, subscapular area, or shoulder 	*Anesthesias or paresthesias
in the upper extremities 	*Sensory changes in the lower extremities 	*Motor
weakness in the upper or lower extremities 	*Gait difficulties 	*“Upper motor
neuron” findings; “lower motor neuron” findings
Erectile Dysfunction
*On completion of this educational activity , participants should be better able
to 	*Evaluate specific needs of patients & their expectations of ED treatment
	*Be able to take a sexual history 	*Implement ED treatment strategies
	*Significantly associated with 	*Increased age 	*Diabetes 	*Cardivascular
Disease 	*Hypertension 	*Depression 	*Smoking
Complications
*Will make latent natural or spontaneous erections as well as other
interventional treatment options impossible 	*If an infection occurs, the
prosthesis may have to be removed 	*May cause the penis to become shorter,
curved or scarred 	*There may be mechanical failures of the prosthesis
	*Urogenital pain (typically associated with healing process )