Neck Arthritis: Abnormal Wear On The Cartilage Of The Neck Bones

Neck arthritis is also known as cervical spondylosis and is a disorder that is the result of abnormal wear on the cartilage as well as bones of the neck with some amount of degeneration and mineral deposits being found in the cushions between the cervical disks. Neck arthritis is caused by chronic degeneration of the cervical spine that also includes the cushions between the cervical disks as well as between bones of the cervical spine and there may also be some occurrence of growths or spurs on the bones of the joint. Such degeneration will cause accumulated changes that may result in gradually compressing the nerve roots, which can occur in more than a single root, and may cause increased pain in the neck as well as arm and there would also be weakness and changes in sensation. When the condition is more advanced, it would lead to the spinal cord also becoming involved and would further affect not just the arms but also lead to ailments in the legs as well.

Occurs In People Aged 40 Or More

Neck arthritis may be present in a person that has attained the age of forty or more and continues to progress thereon and according to statistics, men may develop neck arthritis earlier than would women and the condition may also lead to myelopathy, affecting the spinal cord as well. As one grows older there would bound to be bone spurs that form on vertebral bodies who attempt to increase the surface area and thus stabilize the vertebral joint, though this is generally not successful and hence causes pain by putting pressure on the spinal nerves as also in some cases, on the spinal cord.

Risk Factors For Neck Arthritis

When a person has suffered repeated trauma to the neck there is every chance that neck arthritis would be more likely to result thereof and these traumas would also most likely be those that have occurred at work or through recreational activities and these may include carrying loads on the head, professional dancing, and professional gymnastics. Besides these, there may also be genetic as well as acquired risk factors and congenital factors that may cause neck arthritis including congenitally narrow spinal canal that is more likely to cause cervical spondylosis accompanied with myelopathy. The spinal cord, in such instances, is a very sensitive structure that relays feelings and if the space is too constricted to fit it inside the column of bone it occupies, the risk of getting neck arthritis increases greatly.