Cervical spondylosis

Skeletal spine

Alternative Names

Cervical osteoarthritis; Arthritis - neck; Neck arthritis

Symptoms

Symptoms often develop slowly over time, but may start suddenly.

More common symptoms are:

Neck pain (may radiate to the arms or shoulder)
Neck stiffness that gets worse over time
Loss of sensation or abnormal sensations in the shoulders, arms, or (rarely) legs
Weakness of the arms or (rarely) legs
Headaches , particularly in the back of the head

Less common symptoms are:

Loss of balance
Loss of control over the bladder or bowels (if spinal cord is compressed)

Signs and tests

Examination often shows limited ability to bend the head toward the shoulder and rotate the head.

Weakness or loss of sensation can be signs of damage to specific nerve roots or to the spinal cord. Reflexes are often reduced.

The following tests may be done:

CT scan or spine MRI
Spine or neck x-ray
EMG
X-ray or CT scan after dye is injected into the spinal column (myelogram)

Previous Section

Cervical spondylosis

Next Section chevron

Cervical spondylosis

Review Date: 07/10/2009
Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington, School of Medicine; and C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Assistant Professor, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, UCSF Dept. of Orthopaedic Surgery. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).