Ageing is a process which is not always kind to people. One of the things which occurs along with ageing is cervical spondylosis, which causes extreme pain and stiffness of muscles. Although it may be an excruciating thing to have, it really does not mean that it cannot be treated, especially with herbal medicine.

In a lot of cases, cervical spondylosis (sometimes referred to as neck arthritis or cervical osteoarthritis) ends up being related to a neck injury that was suffered by a person and it gets progressively worse as he or she gets older. It is a condition in which there is a degradation of the joints of either two or more vertebrae.

To say that herbal remedies can go a long way when it comes to an issue such as cervical spondylosis is an understatement. Take a look at Ayurveda, the ancient, yet super effective body of medicine.

Triphla: To start with, there is triphala, which is a herb. Take triphala powder, mix it in a glass of milk and have it. Do ensure that the milk is warm as triphala may not have its intended effect, if the case is otherwise.
Gugglu: Simbananda Guggulu, which is the resin extract of the Guggulu plant, is considered an effective medicine.
Aloe vera: Aloe Vera or Kumari Saar, as referred to in the Ayurvedic terms, is known to be a wonder plant and there is a good set of reasons as to why it has earned this reputation for itself. One of the reasons is surely the potential of its juice to help with treating cervical spondylosis.
Ayurveda requires general changes in a person s diet and the way he or she lives life, as well. For this reason, when a person is looking to get rid of cervical spondylosis, it is important to stay away from eating fried food or food that is either sour or bitter. Relief from cervical spondylosis can be as easy as popping a medicine in capsule form a few times a day! 

Make sure you visit a qualified doctor before you consume any of these medicines. It is to be kept in mind that a doctor should prescribe the dosage of medicines and the duration of the treatment for cervical spondylosis and only after this is done should you undergo the treatment. Soon you can look forward to living a higher quality of life with lesser pain.

Ayurveda provides permanent cure for this ailment. The treatment includes external therapies like greeva basti, abhyangam, kizhi etc. Along with some therapeutic diet and regimen and internal medication. Therefore, cervical spondylitis is completely curable with ayurveda.

6 Ayurvedic Remedies to Treat Cervical Spondylosis (Osteoarthritis of Neck) 

The problem of morning back and neck pain may be due to the position of sleeping or it may be related to inflammatory arthritis which can be familial. Morning back pain is largely related to wrong sleeping posture and less commonly due to arthritic conditions like Ankylosing Spondylitis or Rheumatoid Arthritis. Whatever be the cause- this condition requires attention by an Orthopedic doctor as it may worsen in due course of time and should not be taken lightly. 

Some common factors causing this are: 

Mattress: Too soft or too hard a mattress might induce back ache after sleep. For people with waist and hips of equal proportion, a firmer mattress would do well. For those with narrower waist than their hips, a flexible and softer mattress that can move with the pelvic weight would be a perfect choice. Refrain from using old hardened mattresses. 
Pillow: The pillow you use must be able to render support to your neck naturally. Instead of using excessively firm or soft pillow, try substituting it with memory foam pillows, refillable water pillows or cervical support pillows. 
Posture: Not changing your position while sleeping or sleeping on the belly exerts strain on the back muscles, causing pain. On the other hand, sleeping on the back or on the sides causes comparatively less strain on the spine. 
Other causes such as strenuous workouts or physical activities or sitting at a stretch during the day might cause pain while sleeping or after getting up from bed. 
Remedies for Morning Back Pain: 

Fortunately, there are some home remedies to cure the morning back pain. 

Switching your mattress is a more expensive remedy for back pain, but may often be the ultimate cure. Most people sleep the best on medium-firm mattresses. Be sure to try out the mattress before you buy it. 
For occasional back pain after sleeping, apply heat to your back to relax your muscles before you go to bed and when you get up in the morning. 
Massage your back with pain relieving creams and apply heat on it with a heating pad for quick relief. 
Specific spinal stretching exercises and Planks (a type of exercise) can greatly help in easing back pain, if done on a regular basis. 
It is always recommended to CONSULT an Orthopaedic doctor if you suffer from morning back pain.

Morning Back Pain And Neck Pain

Neck cancer refers to the formation of cancer cells in the throat or neck region of your body. Neck cancer is commonly seen in people above sixty years of age. But people above forty can also have the chances of getting neck cancer. Though the symptoms of neck cancer can vary from one person to the other, 

Some of the common symptoms are stated as follows:

 Neck cancer affects the voice box, so a change in your voice can be noticed.
 Weight loss is also a symptom for neck cancer.
 A person suffering from neck cancer can also suffer from dysphagia or difficulty in swallowing.
 Sore throat in some cases can be considered as a symptom of neck cancer
 Bleeding from mouth or through your nose is also a common symptom for neck cancer.
 Ear pain in some cases is a symptom of neck cancer.
 Coughing persistently is also regarded as a symptom of neck cancer.
 Sometimes a lump in the neck is also noticed and it is usually painless.
 Some people also encounter breathing problem.
 In some cases a swelling of the neck, jaw or eyes can also be noticed.

Neck cancer involves certain risk factors too. Neck cancer can be treated in many ways. The following are few treatments available for neck cancer:

 Surgery: your doctor can conduct a surgery for removing the tumors from your neck region. The doctor may decide to do either a microsurgery or laser treatment or endoscopy.
 Chemotherapy: if the tumor spreads to other regions or is large in size, then your doctor may recommend chemotherapy. 
 Radiation: it is used to destroy the malignant cells. It is usually conducted after removing the tumor.

These three are the common treatments followed by doctors. Your doctor may also take help of other treatments like administering drugs to control the growth of cancer cells. But, sometimes treatments fail to work if the process of metastasis starts. So you should not ignore it, as soon as you encounter any of the symptoms stated above, visiting an oncologist is highly recommended.


Neck Cancer Symptoms and Treatment

A neck strain and sprain is not a serious injury. However, they can still cause significant dysfunction and pain.
Causes of Neck Strain
The anatomy of the cervical spine is such that it not only houses, but also protects the spinal cord. Along with this it supports the head and allows it for mobility and motion. But this area, which allows the spine to be flexible can also leave it vulnerable for injury.

Triggers for the onset of neck muscle strain can be:

1. Too much time spent in an uncomfortable position, such as humping over the steering wheel while driving, bending over the computer monitor, talking on the phone while placing it in the crook of the neck.

2. Sleeping on a very high or too firm pillow can lead to an uncomfortable position of the head thus leading to the strain of the neck

3. Carrying heavy objects on one side of the body

4. Any trauma that might have impacted the neck, such as an accident, whiplash or a fall that might have had a head landing

Most events of a neck muscle strain or the soft tissue sprain, such as the tendons and ligaments lead to stiff neck along with pain in shoulders. There is also pain and difficulty in moving the neck or head.

Neck muscle strain remedies

Minor strains in the tendons, ligaments and muscles of the neck usually heal within a day or two. But till the symptoms subside, there are a few self care remedies that are effective in reducing the stiffness and pain. These are:

1. Application of cold or ice packs: The cold reduces the inflammation, which in turn allows the strain to heal. This ice pack should be applied for 20 minutes interval in the first 24 hours.

2. Application of heat: Heat helps in bringing the nutrient rich blood to the affected area in order to stimulate a healing response. Moist heat as well as heat from a hot shower or bath can be used. Some people might find relief from applying heat wraps such as thermacare.

3. Over-the-counter or OTC medications: Anti-inflammatory medication, such as naproxen and ibuprofen reduces inflammation, thereby leading to the reduction in pain. Pain relieving medicines such as acetaminophen can also be taken as this reduces the perception of pain.

4. Massage of the affected area: A gentle massage in the affected area helps in stimulating the blood flow of the area which in turn helps in a quick healing.

What You Need to Know About Neck Sprains and Strains

Neck pain is fairly common among adults. It results from the soft tissues such as ligaments, muscles and tendons. It can result from spasms and muscle strain from neck problems such as disc degeneration and spinal stenosis. Be it a chronic pain or a sudden one, addressing it is important to get on with the daily office life. 

Here is a list of some quick solutions, which when followed can give considerable relief from the pain:

Computer should be at eye level: While sitting at it you must ensure that the middle of the computer screen is parallel to the eye. If it is required that you bend your neck to view the screen, then you should adjust the screen, without bending your neck. This happens most often while working with a laptop. The chair length can be adjusted to fix this problem.
Refrain from neck straining while typing: If typing requires straining the neck, it should be ensured that the same doesn t happen. This is the case while texting in a mobile. A better solution is to fix this is to take the mobile at a level which does not require the neck bend down. It will ensure that the joints and discs of the neck are not stressed.
Use headset: If the work demands longer time on the phone, instead of bending the neck it makes sense to use a headset. Practicing the chin tuck exercise can help in this case. This exercise can strengthen the soft muscles of the neck. It also maintains the alignment of the head and the shoulder.
Stay hydrated: Enough hydration is necessary to ensure spinal alignment and disc height. Hydration also takes a eases the spine and relaxes the soft muscles. A practice of adequate hydration throughout the day can help stop the degeneration of the cervical disc. While drinking water is a matter of practice, keeping a water bottle serves as a constant reminder to drink it throughout the day. Keeping an alarm after 2 hours also serves as a constant reminder to drink water.
Carrying weight: One common mistake committed by most people is to carry weight with one hand. Since the load doesn t distribute evenly, it strains the neck muscles causing pain. It should be ensured that the office briefcase or the heavy purse is carried with equal stress on both the shoulders. This will ensure a painless day at the office.
Maintaining a good posture: Poor sitting or walking posture is often the cause of neck pain. While sitting it should be ensured that the back is straight and rests in the chair once in awhile. The neck and head should fall in a line while working.

Neck Pain at Work - 6 Tips to Help You Prevent it

What does neck and shoulder pain indicate?

The stabbing pain that you experience around the neck and shoulder region should never be ignored as they may indicate health problems that require medical attention. There are certain points that you need to keep in mind the if you experience prolonged pain in these areas of the body.

1. Neck injury? your neck and shoulder pain should be seen as a warning sign that you need to take a look at the neck injury you may have sustained during a rear-end automobile accident. More specifically, whiplash injuries that happen when the head experiences a sudden backward and forward jerk, straining the tissues of the neck. 

2. Pain in these areas of the body could indicate abnormalities in the vertebrae of your neck such as herniated disc, causing added pressure on the nerves of the spinal cord.

3. Your neck and shoulder pain complaint may also point towards muscle strains. Lifestyle factors like working long hours in front of laptops or desktops leave you with no time and zero energy to exercise, resulting in serious neck and shoulder pains.

4. Your neck and shoulder pain may also indicate the problem of cervical spondylosis. This is a degenerative disc disease, which is characterised by severe pain that originates from the neck and radiates till the shoulders.

5. Even heart problems, such as a heart attack can cause pain in the shoulder and the neck. When this happens, the condition is known as referred pain.

6. Adopting an improper body posture during lifting of heavy materials can induce pain in your body parts, with neck and shoulders being the most vulnerable areas.

7. You may be suffering from a condition known as rotator cuff injury in which the group of ligaments and muscles that support the shoulder get injured during lifting or playing any sport.

To avoid aggravating the pain from becoming more severe, you shouldn't ignore any ache that arises from these areas.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'consult'.

Related Tip: 6 Effective Ways to Keep Away Body Pains, esp. When Temperatures Dip

What Does Neck and Shoulder Pain Indicate?

Don't wait any longer, manage your Neck Pain online with a Lybrate doctor today

Consult for Neck Pain - Online and Easy!

FilterClear All

COMMON SPECIALITIES

COMMON ISSUES