Our cervical spine has already prematurely aged under the pressure of busy work with phones and computers.
The cervical spine supports the head and connects it with the trunk, so that it is the most flexible part of the spine and the most important part of the CNS. It is also the only way of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular vessels, so that when there’s a cervical problem, there will be consequences.
Structure of the Cervical Spine
The cervical spine is consisted of seven vertebrae, and each vertebra is connected by an intervertebral disc in the front and a small joint at the back. In addition, there are many muscles around the vertebrae, especially around the back of the neck, connecting them together.
The cervical spine has great flexibility, high frequency of movement, and heavy weight loading. It has a much greater range of motion than the thoracic spine in the middle segment and the lumbar spine in the lower segment.
Cervical spondylosis is a disease in which degeneration of the cervical discs itself and its secondary alterations stimulate or compress adjacent tissues and cause various symptoms and signs. When one or a few parts of the cervical age or dysfunction, resulting in related parts suffer, that is cervical spondylosis.
How to Treat Cervical Spondylosis?
The causes of cervical spondylosis are diverse, and each patient’s condition varies, requiring targeted comprehensive treatment according to patient’s individual situation.
(1) Postural therapy: the occurrence of cervical spondylosis is more related to postures. Some patients use computers, mobile phones for a long time, or maintain a posture with their head down or extended. Poor posture will result in muscle and fascia strain, and then bone proliferation occurs. For such kind of patients, active correction of poor posture and correct posture training are required to keep the cervical spine in a better line of force, so that the force on the muscles around the cervical is balanced, the joint force is evenly distributed, and the local muscles tension can be avoided.
(2) Physiotherapy: many patients are relatively familiar with physiotherapy, knowing that traction and electrotherapy can help with cervical spondylosis. Traction therapy can relieve muscle spasm and electrotherapy can relax muscles, so that these two treatment methods can all improve patients’ symptoms.
(3) Manual therapy: manipulation therapy in rehabilitation is based on the knowledge of modern anatomy, biomechanics, kinesiology, and other related disciplines to deal with symptoms such as pain and limitation of movement, and to correct abnormal movement patterns. For patients with neck and shoulder pain, manipulation therapy can relieve pain, improve the activity of the head and neck. In addition, it can also assist patients with some corresponding training.
(4) Sports therapy: Patients with cervical spondylosis must also undergo sports therapy, which includes some postural training, stability training, and muscle strength training, etc. Sports methods vary, but it’s the most important to follow doctors’ advice because different patients have different situations.
① Cervical range of motion training: relax the neck in sitting or standing position, and take trainings including neck flexion and extension, lateral flexion, and rotating, with 5 repetitions in each direction and repeat every 30min.
② Isometric contraction exercises: relax the neck in sitting or standing position, apply forward, backward, left, right resistance with hand, keep the neck in neutral position, relax after maintaining for 5 seconds, and repeat 3-5 times.
③ Neck flexor group training: sitting or standing with jaw adduction posteriorly, stretch the muscles in the back of the head, maintain for 5 s and repeat 3-5 times.
For patients with neck and shoulder pain, only comprehensive rehabilitation treatment according to patients’ conditions can achieve good treatment effect.
Post time: Feb-01-2021