The cervical spine plays a function in the human body, connecting the central nervous system and peripheral nerves together.
In addition, the cervical spine supports the brain, the blood vessels in the neck transmit nutrients and oxygen to the brain, if the cervical spine is sick, it not only affects the activity of the cervical spine, but also may affect the health of the brain.
So, how does cervical spondylosis develop to such a serious degree? You can learn from 4 stages.
Stage 1: Pre-cervical spine lesions
If a person sleeps too high on a pillow for a long time, bows his head for a long time, or has little neck activity, it may lead to muscle strain in the neck and changes in the state of cervical flexion, so that people enter the pre-cervical spine lesions.
At this time, the patient only feels mild pain and stiffness in the neck, and when examining in the hospital, it is not easy to find specific lesion symptoms, and it cannot be diagnosed as cervical spondylosis.
Stage 2: A period of mild changes in bone structure
After mild pain and stiffness in the cervical spine, if the patient does not pay attention to it, continue to maintain a poor cervical posture, resulting in the cervical spine is still in a state of overstretch, it will cause mild changes in bone structure.
Clinically, this condition is known as a degenerative change in the cervical spine, and if it is not improved in time, it will cause the speed of degenerative lesions to increase, so that the cervical spine will be more damaged.
When the cervical spine undergoes degenerative changes, the pain and stiffness of the patient's neck will become more intense, and when the patient goes to the hospital for cervical spine examination, it will be found that the intervertebral disc has appeared in an outflow state, and there may also be a phenomenon of bone hyperplasia.
At this time, if it is treated by drugs, rehabilitation exercises, and physiotherapy, the patient's condition can be rapidly improved.
Stage 3: Cervical spine compression exacerbation
After degenerative lesions of the cervical spine, further progression of the condition can cause compression on the surrounding nerve roots. Different nerve roots are pressed, and the symptoms of the patient are different.
For example, when the spinal cord is pressed, it will cause the patient's lower limbs to be numb and unstable, and some patients will also have the phenomenon of elevated muscle tone of the lower limbs, which will cause the patient's walking posture to be abnormal;
If the nerve roots on both sides of the cervical spine are pressed, the patient's upper limbs will experience pain, fatigue, and numbness.
Stage 4: Spinal cord damage. When a patient's cervical spondylosis reaches its most severe level, it can lead to serious damage to the spinal cord.
Excessive compression of the spinal cord may cause ischemic necrosis and the risk of paralysis is greatly increased.
At this time, if there is no surgery to help the patient relieve the compression state of the spinal cord, the patient's condition is difficult to improve.
In addition, after the blood vessels and nerves on both sides of the cervical spine are compressed, it will also lead to the dysfunction of the upper limbs of the patient, and the brain will not receive sufficient blood oxygen supply, resulting in an increase in the incidence of brain diseases.
The cervical spine is very important to anyone, and when cervical spondylosis occurs, it will go through the above four stages.
If you don't want your cervical spine to be hurt too much, you must go to the hospital in time to receive relevant examinations and treatment in the first stage, so that the cervical spine can recover as soon as possible.
In normal times, it is also necessary to develop good living habits, correctly use and maintain the cervical spine, often move the body, let the cervical spine and the whole body be exercised, and maintain health.