What are the Causes of Cervical Spondylosis?
Chronic wear on the cervical spine causes cervical spondylosis. This includes the intervertebral discs or cushions between the neck vertebrae and the joints between the bones of the cervical spine.
Abnormal growths or ‘spurs’ on the vertebrae can, over time, compress one or more of the nerve roots. In advanced cases of cervical spondylosis, the spinal cord becomes involved. This can affect the arms and the legs.
Everyday wear and tear may trigger these changes.
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The major risk factor for cervical spondylosis is aging. Other factors that increase a person’s likelihood to develop spondylosis are-
- Injury- Cervical spondylosis can be caused by previous injury, repeated fractures or dislocations of the joints of neck. These cause abnormal tear of joints, ligaments and the structures surrounding the joints.
- Occupational strain- The physical strain, intensity of work and duration of working hours all constitutes the occupational strain. Having a job that requires heavy lifting or a lot of bending and twisting increases the wear and tear.
- Bad posture- Incorrect posture adapted by habit or due to poor skeletal set up in the neck predisposes abnormal tear of the neck joints.
- Body type- Being overweight and not exercising increases the chances of cervical spondylosis.
- Past spine surgery
- Severeosteoarthritis
- Osteoporosis- It results in small fractures to the spine.
