Cervical Spondylosis: Does Home Treatment Work?

Cervical spondylosis is a condition which occurs as the age goes higher and affects the disks and joints in the cervical spine, located in the neck. Another name for cervical spondylosis is “cervical osteoarthritis” or neck arthritis. The development of cervical spondylosis starts from the wear and tear of the cartilage and the bones. This condition is highly related to age but can be caused due to other reasons, as well. The condition of cervical spondylosis has been seen in more than the 90% of the people who are above the age of 50. The symptoms differ from individual to individual, some may not face symptoms, whereas some may undergo severe pain and stiffness.  Cervical spondylosis has its respective home remedies as well and these remedies are easy to use and apply in order to ease the pain.

Causes of Cervical spondylosis

The causes of cervical spondylosis are:

Bone Spurs

Overgrowth of bones results in the body trying to grow more bones to make the spinal cord stronger. Thus, the bone gets pressed on the delicate parts of the spinal cord, such as the nerves, and the spinal cord and generates pain.

Dehydrated Spinal Discs

The thick disks that are between the spinal bones absorb shocks like lifting, twisting, and other activities. The gel-type material, which is located inside these disks,  dries over time. This is the reason why spinal vertebrae and the bones are rubbed more against each other and cause unbearable pain for the individual. The process has been seen in people who are in their mid-30s.

Herniated Disks

Cervical spondylosis can be due to herniated disks. The spinal disks tend to develop cracks that allow the leakage of the internal materials. These materials, when extracted, can press against the spinal cord and the nerves and cause issues such as arm numbness and pain which radiates towards down to the arm.

Injury

If the individual had an accident or a fall, cervical spondylosis can happen and accelerate the process of aging in the individual.

Overuse

Some activities or habits may involve repetition of the movement and can put pressure on the spinal cord and result in the gradual early wear and tear.

Common symptoms for cervical spondylosis include muscle weakness, stiff neck that gets worse, headaches that are mainly occurring in the back of the head, and numbness in the shoulders and arms.

Cervical Spondylosis Treatment

 Cervical spondylosis treatments are conservative in most cases, such as:

• Resting
• Use of anti-inflammatory and drugs that are steroid-free.
• Wearing a cervical collar to limit the movement and keep a support for the neck
• Physical therapy and application of cold and heat therapy, exercise, and traction.
• Injection of drugs, such as corticosteroid and anesthesia into the joints of the spinal cord and facet joint injection into the spine’s surrounding area.
• Steroid injections taken on the neck, which can help reduce severe pain.
• If the person experiences loss of sensation and muscle weakness, then surgery is recommended for the treatment.

Cervical Spondylosis Home Treatment

Home treatments will only be useful if there are mild conditions. Few things that can be used at home for treatment of cervical spondylosis are:

• Intake of the OTC pain relieving medicines that include acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and naproxen sodium.
• To relieve pain in the neck, cold packs and heating packs can be used.
• To recover faster, exercise is advised.
• Wearing neck collars or braces can help the patient get temporary relief. However, neck collars and braces should not be worn for a long period of time as they have the tendency to make the muscles weaker.

Regular Exercise

A few exercises that are useful for the cervical spondylosis treatment are:

Neck Stretches

The individual is asked to stand straight and keep the chin forward in such a way that he feels a stretch in the area of the throat. Then, the neck muscle should be tensed slowly and this process should be done for at least 5 seconds. After this step, the head should be pushed back with the chin being held high for 5 seconds. These steps should be repeated five times.

Neck Tilt from Side to Side

Lean towards with the head downwards. Slowly tense the muscles of the neck and hold it for 5 seconds. Return the head towards the center, repeat it towards the other shoulder, and hold it for another 5 seconds.

Isometric Movements 

During this exercise, the pressure is put on the muscles. The individual is asked to sit with erected spine and then the pressure must be put on the opposite directions of the head to the side. Note that the pressure should not be applied by the palm. The process should be done at least 10 times.

Head Turns

Head turns are one of the easiest and simplest forms of exercise for the treatment of cervical spondylosis. It helps to keep the neck in motion and avoids the stiffness of the muscles. You have nothing to worry about, all the individual needs to do is to sit with the spine being erect and then move the neck to one side. The head should be straight and high, not dropped. Come back to the center again and repeat it for the opposite side.  The neck should be kept in that position for 10-15 seconds. Repeat it 10 times for better results.

A Heated Pad or Cold Pack

Having two type of pains gives us advantages and disadvantages. One pain is the severe pain, which requires medical intervention, whereas the other type of pain is not severe and can be treated at home with home remedies and the use of cold packs and heating pad. For treating acute injuries, swelling, and pain, we can use ice.

Ice therapy has been used by people for years.  On the other hand, heating pads and heat therapy is good to treat the pain in the muscles and stiffness, which are the backbones of chronic pains. Both these therapies have specific benefits, as cold pack helps in injuries and swellings, while heating pads help in treating chronic pains.

Soft Neck Braces

Going to hospital always for all types of pains is not the remedy where we have cervical spondylosis home treatments as an option. As there are many non-surgical methods available to help reduce the pain, we can reduce the pain of the neck by using soft neck braces. These braces support the neck and avoid any type of unwanted movements. The type of the prescribed brace depends highly on the treatment and the diagnosis goals. Soft neck braces are very flexible and offer great range of motions. The difference between soft braces and rigid braces is that the rigid braces provide cervical stabilizations.

Epsom Salt Bath

Epsom salt is beneficial in treating minor pains and aches, and it can also soothe tired muscles and reduce swellings. This is a good way for cervical spondylosis home treatment. Epsom salt is popularly known to be used for baths, but there is no scientific evidence to support its effectiveness. Epsom salt bath is good for stiff joints, sore muscles, and stress. For treating the cervical spondylosis, add Epsom salt to water and soak your body, specially your neck, in the water for at least 20 minutes.

Herbal Cure

Cervical spondylosis cure at home include herbal cures with the help of natural products. There are various ways you can cure the cervical spondylosis to stop the pain. Use of turmeric, ginger, triphla, and aloe vera can help you fight the pain easily at home.  In a simple way, if you want to avoid from getting cervical spondylosis, stop the consumption of junk and fried foods and foods that are bitter and sour.

Neck Massage        

The best home remedy for cervical spondylosis is called to be massage. Massage is normally done to relax and calm the muscles and mind as well. In the case of spondylosis, the muscles that are surrounding the spine tend to become tense and add to the pain. A proper massage should help release the inflammation and pain. This is why for treating cervical spondylosis, neck massage is done.

Yoga

Pilates and yoga both are exercises that works on the connection of the mind and the body. It helps to focus on breathing while moving. Yoga helps to relax the body and strengthen the core, as well as spinal muscles.  Still, before practicing yoga for the treatment of the cervical spondylosis, it is better to consult the respective doctors first.

Neck Arthritis

Arthritis in the neck is very common but the signs may differ in individuals. In some cases, the arthritis in the neck causes no symptoms. The symptoms of arthritis are neck stiffness and pain, and it can get worse by keeping the head down or up too much. Neck pain is usually relaxed by resting and lying down. Some other symptoms of neck arthritis can be headaches, loss of balance, trouble while walking, and weakness in the legs and hands of the individuals.

Cervical spondylosis cure at home

We have good options in curing cervical spondylosis at home. You don't need medicines for the cure. All you need is to go to your kitchen and find all the home remedy materials in your kitchen. Heating pads and I've packs can be of great help and if the pain is disturbing you a lot you can take medicines like acetaminophen or an NSAID. Another best home cure can be done with the help of ghee as it is one of the crucial ingredients in curing cervical spondylosis. According to the ayurveda, the ghee which is extracted from cow has joint lubricating properties.

Treating cervical spondylosis

The treatment of cervical spondylosis depends highly on the condition and severity. The symptoms and the signs play a vital role as well in treating cervical spondylosis. The end result and the goal is to relief the pain of the individual and it can be through therapies, surgery and even home remedies which the individual can do it at home in cases of minor pains.

 Some information about about cervical spondylosis, its treatments and other methods, through which we can ease and calm the pain was presented here. Some home remedies for cervical spondylosis was mentioned above which are great to use to calm the pain and give relief to the individual. As stated above, we read about home remedies and treatments for cervical spondylosis and how we can treat them both with home treatments and later if the pain increases visiting the doctor is a better idea. Cervical spondylosis at home was done with the help of our own natural products that are available in our kitchens everyday.We hope this content was interesting and of some help for you by giving you some information about the treatments and things you can do to relax your neck and calm the pain.

Resources: healthline, spineuniverse