As the aging happens the discs in the cervical spine get dehydrated and shrink in size due to the age related wear and tear. This results in signs of osteoarthritis. In this condition the bones of the vertebrae get projected in the form of spurs. Most of the people above the age of 60 have differing degrees of cervical spondylosis. Some people will have symptoms like neck pain while the others would not experience any pain symptoms. The more severe symptoms of cervical spondylosis are a tingling sensation, weakness or numbness in the arms, hands, legs or feet. There could be lack of co-ordination, difficulty in walking and loss of bladder or bowel control.
The causes for cervical spondylosis are – dehydrated discs, herniated discs, bony spurs or stiff ligaments. Age is one of the most important contributor to the onset of cervical spondylosis but other factors like overuse of the neck muscles, injuries to the neck, genetic factors and smoking are known to contribute to this condition.
It is believed that smokers have lack of oxygen supply to the discs and this accelerates the dehydration of the discs and early onset of cervical spondylosis.
TREATMENT OPTIONS
When you first land up in the OPD of a spine specialist, you would get a thorough physical examination. Dr Sudeep Jain is going to check the range of motion of your neck, muscle strength in your arms and legs and your gait while you walk. While most of the cases of cervical spondylosis can be quite clearly diagnosed through a clinical examination, some cases would require investigations like X-Rays, CT Scan, MRI Scan or Myelography. The MRI of Cervical Spine is the best and gold standard for diagnosing all the problems in the neck region.
Most of the cases of the cervical spondylosis in the early stage are treated conservatively through pain and anti – inflamatory medications combined with physiotherapy. Long term relief from pain due to this condition can be achieved only through the strengthening and flexibility of the neck muscles.
If physical therapy fails to give relief then surgery can be done to remove a herniated disc or bony spurs. Removing a part of the vertebrae and fusing some of the vertebrae may also help. Fusion surgery requires placing a metallic cage in the neck region. This kind of surgery would require hospitalization for a couple of days and full recovery would take around a week.
COST OF TREATMENT
The cost of any treatment is quite less if the treatment is done at the early stage of the disease. So if you experience neck stiffness or weakness in the arms or legs, immediately book an appointment with Dr. Sudeep Jain who is considered as one of the top spine specialist in India. The clinic is located at Naraina Vihar. The cost of consultation is Rs. 1500. Other costs associated with the treatment of Cervical Spondylitis could be in the form of diagnostic tests like X-Rays which would cost in the range of Rs. 600-900. If MRI of the Cervical Spine is required it would cost another Rs. 6000 – 7000. Normally no other tests are required for the diagnosis of Cervical Spondylosis.
The cost associated with the treatment of Cervical Spondylosis is mostly in the form of physiotherapy sessions. Most of the patients would typically require 6-8 sessions of physiotherapy to start on the path of recovery. The cost for 6-8 physio sessions would be Rs. 3000 – 4000 depending upon the modalities used for pain relief.
The cost of Cervical Spine Surgery would be in the range of Rs. 1-2 lacs depending upon the type of surgery required. If you have a corporate insurance then this surgery is covered from day one. However if you have an individual policy then most of the insurance companies would pay for the surgery if the policy is more than 2 years old.
