Title: How Aging Affects Your Cervical Spine - Mehta Spine - Children and Adult Spinal Surgeon, UK
1(No Transcript)
2How Aging Affects Your Cervical Spine
As a person ages, there can be some negative
impacts on their cervical spine, shoulders, neck,
upper back and arms. Cervical spine changes with
age. This could be manifested in pain and reduced
mobility in these regions. That does not mean
everyone will develop symptoms of pain. The wear
and tear of everyday usage and the pressure that
is put on the spines combined with ageing could
lead to degenerative spinal conditions in some
people. In this article, we will talk about
ageing and its concomitant effects on a persons
spine. Disorders like cervical spondylosis for
instance. We will also look at how these
disorders can be diagnosed and treated.
3How Aging Affects Your Cervical Spine
- Symptoms of Degenerative Spinal Conditions
- The following are the common symptoms of
degenerative spinal conditions that develop with
age - Neck pain
- Back pain
- Pain in the shoulder blades
- Pain, weakness or numbness in arms
- Difficulty in maintaining limb dexterity (this
happens in rare cases)
4How Aging Affects Your Cervical Spine
- How are Spinal Conditions Diagnosed
- When a patient reports symptoms that may indicate
a cervical degenerative disorder, the doctor
physically examines the patient and asks them
a set of questions to determine the exact
symptoms and the time for which they have
persisted. They then recommend a set of tests to
investigate the exact source and the cause of the
problem. - A neurological test is conducted to rule out any
problems with the nervous system. - A physical examination of the shoulders is done
to see if the pain symptoms are arising from the
neck - Diagnostic imaging tests are also done in order
to get a better sense of the situation
5How Aging Affects Your Cervical Spine
- Diagnostic Imaging Tests For Spinal Conditions
- There are certain diagnostic imaging tests which
can be used to determine the exact cause of the
pain and other symptoms. Some of them are
discussed below briefly. - X Rays X Rays can pinpoint if the intervertebral
disc space is narrowed, if there are any anterior
osteophytes present. It can also be used to
identify spondylosis or arthritis of the joints
and osteophytes from uncovertebral joints.
6How Aging Affects Your Cervical Spine
- CT Scans CT scans can show changes that come
about with osteoarthritis or degenerative
spondylosis. This method however, is not too
useful when it comes to monitoring vertebral
discs. -
- MRIs Magnetic resource imaging or MRI is a
crucial tool to identify cervical spondylosis. It
can be used to visualize herniations in the disc
and some types of osteoarthritis. -
- Myelogram This method is used when MRIs reveal
unclear images. It helps doctors to differentiate
between bone spurs and disc herniations.
7How Aging Affects Your Cervical Spine
Conclusion Dr Jwalant S Mehta, honorary member
of the British Association of Spinal Surgeons is
an orthopedic spinal surgeon who specializes in
spinal corrections in children and corrective
surgeries in adults. He is currently practicing
at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital and the
Birmingham Childrens Hospital in Birmingham,
UK. With an experience of more than a decade, he
is not only a practitioner but actively involved
in teaching and research. He has trained
extensively in India and the UK and can be
consulted for all major spinal conditions.
8 Contact us
- Royal Orthopaedic Hospital
- BMI The Priory Hospital
- Spire Parkway Hospital
- Bromsgrove Private Clinic
9Contact and Connect
- Clinical secretary Samantha Leavy 44 785 021
1939 - Medico-legal secretary Jan Clarke 44 121
4508928 - Spire Parkway Hospital 0121 704 5500
- BMI NEC (National Enquiry Centre) 0808 101 0337
- BMI Priory 0121 446 1638
- Email info_at_mehtaspine.co.uk
- The appointments are booked through the clinic