Specific exercises can help relieve pain, as well as strengthen and stretch weakened or strained muscles. Physical therapy is usually the first nonsurgical treatment that your doctor will recommend. In most cases, treatment for cervical spondylosis is nonsurgical. In some cases, your doctor may order a blood test to determine whether a rheumatoid factor - or any other antibody indicative of inflammatory arthritis - is present. Nerve conduction studies are often done along with EMG to determine if a spinal nerve is functioning properly. Electromyography measures the electrical impulses of the muscles at rest and during contractions. A CT scan is usually done immediately following the myelogram while the contrast dye is still in the spinal canal.Įlectromyography (EMG). In this imaging procedure, contrast dye is injected into the spinal canal to make the spinal cord and nerve roots show up more clearly. More detailed than a plain X-ray, a CT scan can help your doctor better view your spinal canal and any bone spurs. An MRI can help determine whether your symptoms are caused by damage to soft tissues, such as a bulging or herniated disk.Ĭomputerized tomography (CT) scans. MRI scans create better images of the body's soft tissues, such as muscles, disks, nerves, and the spinal cord than X-rays.

It can also reveal degenerative changes in your cervical spine - such as the loss of disk height or the presence of bone spurs. An X-ray will show the alignment of the bones along your neck. X-rays provide images of dense structures, such as bone. Your doctor may order diagnostic tests to help confirm the diagnosis of cervical spondylosis. Were you ever involved in an accident or had an injury to your neck?.Do you have loss of balance or other coordination problems?.Do you have difficulty with fine motor skills, such as handwriting or buttoning your shirt?.

Do you have any weakness or numbness in your arms or legs?.Do certain activities make the pain worse?.When does the pain occur? Is it continuous or does it come and go?.They will also ask questions to understand more about your symptoms and any injuries that may have occurred to your neck. Your doctor may also gently press on your neck and shoulders - feeling for trigger (tender) points or swollen glands. Strength in your arms, hands, and fingers.

They will conduct a number of tests, looking for problems or changes in: Bone spurs may also lead to decreased range of motion in the spine.Īfter discussing your medical history and general health, your doctor will conduct a thorough examination of your neck, shoulders, arms and, frequently, your legs. Over time, this bone overgrowth - called bone spurs - may narrow the space for the nerves and spinal cord to pass through (stenosis). To make up for the lost cartilage, your body may respond by growing new bone in your facet joints to help support the vertebrae. If the cartilage wears away completely, it can result in bone rubbing on bone. The smooth, slippery articular cartilage that covers and protects the joints wears away. Eventually, the cushioning qualities of the disks begins to decrease.Īs the facet joints experience increased pressure, they also begin to degenerate and develop arthritis, similar to what may occur in the hip or knee joint. This problem causes settling, or collapse, of the disk spaces and loss of disk space height. They also lose water content, begin to dry out and weaken. Disk Degeneration and Bone SpursĪs the disks in the spine age, they lose height and begin to bulge. In fact, nearly half of all people middle-aged and older have worn disks that do not cause painful symptoms. These changes are normal and they occur in everyone. Cervical spondylosis arises from degenerative changes that occur in the spine as we age.

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