How To Prevent Cervical Osteoarthritis?

According to research, cervical osteoarthritis has a prevalence of 22% in those over 25 years of age and in 8 out of 10 people over 55 years of age.  This ailment occurs when the cartilage of the joints of the spine wear out, thus causing injuries and degeneration that affects our quality of life.

The reason why cervical osteoarthritis appears is because the cartilages wear out, usually due to age, causing the bones to rub against each other without any protection. Research maintains that its most common clinical manifestation is pain, since the deformations that occur give rise to severe pain and inflammation in the affected area.

In this article we will discover how we can prevent cervical osteoarthritis and what symptoms we should pay attention to in order to detect this problem early.

Symptoms of cervical osteoarthritis

Cervical osteoarthritis, also known as cervicoarthrosis, presents a series of warning signs to which we must pay special attention. It is a pathology that presents as main symptoms:

• Neck pain: with any movement we notice a slight pain that we can confuse with poor posture, since it can be accompanied by stiffness or tension. This pain can come and go over the days, and can lead to a headache.
• Loss of usual arc of motion:
• Crunches
• Muscle disorders
• Joint instability
• Joint deformation

Going to the doctor when some of the symptoms that we will point out below appear, no matter how subtle, will allow us to know what is happening to us and put a solution to it.

In some cases, cervical osteoarthritis has no symptoms, so acting on time is quite difficult. Therefore, before any small pain that we notice in this area, we must bring it to the attention of a professional.

Diagnosis of cervicoarthrosis

To make a diagnosis of cervicoarthrosis, the doctor will take into account all the symptoms that the patient tells him and will perform an examination to check for inflammation, weakness in the limbs or loss of mobility.

Normally, the doctor will request an X-ray that allows him to see if cervical osteoarthritis is what the patient is suffering. This test will help you to see if there is indeed a wear of the cartilage in this area.

The moment the doctor confirms that we suffer from cervical osteoarthritis, he will make some recommendations and may even prescribe some medications to deal with the symptoms.

It is very important that we take them into account as they will allow us to feel much better and deal with the cervicoarthrosis in an effective way.

Can cervical osteoarthritis be prevented?

Like many other diseases, cervicoarthrosis can be prevented, although for this it is necessary that we change some aspects and habits of life. Some aspects to which we must pay attention are the following:

• Avoid carrying weight with only one arm : the fact of holding large weights with only one of our arms will affect the stability of our neck, in addition to generating tension. This can lead to stiffness and stiff neck. Over time, it can trigger cervical osteoarthritis.
• Do not sleep with a very high pillow : there are pillows that are too high that, instead of allowing us to rest the neck, cause a lot of tension. Also, we have to pay attention to the mattress, since it should allow us a good posture of the body.
• Be careful with physical exercise : exercise that is too rough and that requires rapid movements can put the health of our spine and cervicals at risk. However, aerobic and stretching exercises are very beneficial. In any case, it is best to consult with a professional trainer to avoid inappropriate postures or movements.

• Take care of your diet: adequate nutrition is essential to prevent the development of cervical osteoarthritis. It is essential to ensure the consumption of foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids, protein and antioxidants.

Taking this into account can help us prevent cervical osteoarthritis. For this reason, it is very important that we pay attention to this series of habits that we carry out without realizing it and that can lead to a cervicoarthrosis in the future.

These and many other tips can be told by a doctor we go to because we suffer a lot of pain in the neck or tingling in our extremities.

It will always be better to prevent cervical osteoarthritis than to fight it once it appears. We hope that all the aforementioned tips will be of great help to you and that you go to the doctor if you have noticed any of the mentioned symptoms. It is better to make sure that it is nothing serious than to wait for the situation to get worse.