Prevention of cervical spondylosis

Cervical spondylosis refers to the age related degeneration in the vertebrae and discs. Cervical spine consists of small vertebrae staked on top of each other. Between them are the intervertebral discs that act as shock absorbers. Normally, almost everybody develops this condition with aging, since the discs in our neck over years become thinner, due to the wear and tear. In some cases, vertebrae may become rough on the edges that may affect the nearby muscles, ligaments and nerves. Irritated by the rough surface, they can cause series of unpleasant symptoms. Neck pain is one of the most common complains today, and most of the people will experience the symptoms of cervical spondylosis at some point in their lives.

Causes of cervical spondylosis

As already mentioned, cervical spondylosis may often occur spontaneously with aging, as the protective discs in our neck wear out over time. Actually, for most of the patients no specific cause can be determined. On the other hand, cervical spondylosis is often caused by different injuries or situations in which the nerve gets trapped between the vertebrae. In many cases, inappropriate head position while working, sitting, or sleeping, causes the neck pain. Sometimes, everyday activities such as house work, office jobs, or frequent traveling, affect our health in many not so obvious ways. All of these situations may aggravate the present neck problems and finally result in cervical spondylosis. The symptoms include pain in the neck, stiffness, frequent headaches and even numbness, tingling or weakness in the arm or hand.

Prevention of cervical spondylosis

The best way to prevent cervical spondylosis is to include simple but healthy routines into the everyday life, and to become a bit more aware of the body and its needs. For example, people who spend hours in the office, doing desk work or in front of the computers should always make sure to have small breaks from time to time and to use them for simple neck stretching exercises. A lot of desktop reminders are available and designed especially for this purpose.

Sometimes, the neck muscles are stiff because of stress. If this is the case, not even the exercises will make a dramatic impact. In these situations, people are often advised to identify the causes of their stress and to try to make a difference. Various stress management techniques are also highly recommended. Yoga classes may be the perfect choice as they combine the best of two worlds: stress relief, deep relaxation and nice low-impact stretching exercises.