Neck arthritis is also known as cervical spine arthritis or cervical osteoarthritis. Arthritis of the neck is caused by the breakdown of articular surface cartilage within the facet joints of the seven cervical vertebra. The most common type arthritis found is osteoarthritis. With aging, the facet joint surfaces roughen and thin. The gradual breakdown of joint surfaces is usually a result of the normal wear-and-tear that comes with age. Breakdown may be accelerated by upper spinal injuries, or jobs involving repetitive motion. Some genetic markers have also been linked with premature cartilage breakdown.
Women are almost twice as likely as men to develop degenerative arthritis in the neck. However, risk factors are the same – regardless of gender – and include age, genetics, body weight, and more. Neck arthritis symptoms are also the same in men and women. They include tenderness in the neck, radiating pain, stiffness, loss of mobility, and more.
Several spinal conditions are known to be associated with neck arthritis, including:
- Cervical spinal stenosis
- Herniated disc
- Bulging disc
- Bone spurs
- Facet disease
- Pinched nerve
If you are diagnosed with any of these conditions related to neck arthritis, your doctor may choose to pursue a course of conservative treatment, including exercise, physical therapy, over-the-counter or prescription pain medicine and more. If the chronic pain and stiffness of cervical spine arthritis has failed and symptoms impede the ability to function in daily life, a health care provider may suggest surgery as a treatment option.
Should that happen, the medical professionals at Laser Spine Institute (LSI) can treat your neck arthritis symptoms with a variety of minimally invasive, outpatient surgical procedures designed to help you regain function as quickly as possible. Contact LSI for a complimentary review of your MRI or CT scan and to learn more about how to recover an active lifestyle.
