Showing posts with label numbness in neck and hands. Show all posts
Showing posts with label numbness in neck and hands. Show all posts

Tuesday 5 February 2013

Major Symptoms of Cervical Arthritis


Cervical arthritis is a medical condition in which the upper spine of a person’s body is affected. It is also referred to as a form of osteoarthritis in which the cartilage in joints starts wearing away due to the natural process of ageing or because of an accident.

The disease is named cervical arthritis because cervical vertebrae begin to degenerate in the person suffering from this condition. Due to this change, the space in the vertebrae is narrowed down which causes compression of the nerves in the spinal cord inside the neck. It leads to the inflammation of the nerves producing neck pain which may sometimes move to the arms as well.

Cervical arthritis arouses between the ages of 30 and 50 and is normally considered to be a part of the natural aging process. People above the age of 50 generally experience some problems leading to pain in the spinal cord however; symptoms of cervical arthritis are noticed in few. Here is a brief description of some of the major symptoms of cervical arthritis:


Neck Pain
The problem of cervical arthritis causes strain on the nerves which causes pain in the neck of the person suffering from this condition. Chronic neck pain is one of the most common symptoms of cervical arthritis. The pain starts with mild ache through the neck which slowly increases with certain movements like looking up or down for extensive periods of time or turning head in a particular direction.


Neck Stiffness
Neck stiffness is a side effect of the chronic neck pain. Cervical arthritis doesn't directly stiffen the neck, but it caused due to pain in the neck. Some people tighten the neck muscles while the pain begins, but it makes the muscles more stiff which limits the neck movement as well as increases the pain.

Pain on the Arms
As the pain suffered by people suffering from cervical arthritis is due to a strained nerve so, pain easily spreads to other parts of the body as well. Some people feel severe pain in their arms which even limits their arm movement. Sometimes, the agonizing pain can be felt in hands and fingers as well.

Numbness in Neck and Hands
As the nerves are squeezed in the neck; it leads to numbness in the neck, hands and fingers. This is one of the major symptoms of cervical arthritis and one must consult a doctor to take proper medication for this. Neck pain, headaches and stiffness may be caused due to varied kinds of illnesses, but neck and hand numbness are unique symptoms of cervical arthritis.

Headaches
Affected persons suffer from frequent headaches. It is a side effect of the neck pain. When the pain in the neck becomes severe, the headache is followed by the neck pain.
In case of any of the symptoms mentioned above, you should take the consultation of a doctor. If not taken proper medication at the right stage, cervical arthritis becomes very painful in the later stages and with the growing age of the person.