Arthritis in Neck Symptoms

Stiffness in neck or pain in and around the neck and shoulder region is a common malady. This makes it extremely confusing to know whether it's generalized pain or indication of arthritis in neck symptoms. Arthritis is a common condition that affects people mostly over forty. Neck arthritis is a type of arthritis that obviously affects the neck region. It is also known as cervical osteoarthritis, cervical spondylosis or degenerative joint disease of the neck. If you are trying to figure out the symptoms of neck arthritis, then continue reading.

Symptoms

There are many conditions that can lead to the symptoms of neck arthritis, that is often age related degeneration of bones in neck. Your doctor will be able to correctly diagnose the cause of the symptoms. The normal wear and tear of bones leads to cervical spondylosis or osteoarthritis. Many times, osteoarthritis is accompanied by growth of bony spurs that leads to problems within the ligaments and disks of the neck. The most common symptoms of arthritis in neck includes severe pain in neck and shoulder. Other symptoms include:

• Stiffness in neck and arthritis in neck pain
• Pain radiating in the arms
• Arms and hands numbness and weakness
• Weakness in legs that causes problems while walking or balancing
• Clicking or grinding sounds in neck
• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Muscle spasms in neck
• Sleeping disorders
• Limitation in moving or rotating head or neck around or bending the head sideways

Arthritis in Neck Problems
Apart from limiting your head and neck movements along with the arthritis in neck pain, there are a number of other problems. These arthritis in neck problems include upper back pain, shoulder pain and arm pain. Other serious arthritis in neck problems include the following conditions.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms
This is a type of arthritis in neck infection and inflammation caused by an autoimmune disorder that affects the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis in neck symptoms occur when the joints in the neck are destroyed. This leads to severe stiffness with pain. The rheumatoid arthritis in neck is usually seen in the upper neck area.

Spondylosis
The cervical disc is like a shock absorber between the bones of the neck. When this disc degenerates, the space between the vertebrae is narrowed leading to stress on the joints of the spine. This causes further degeneration and may even cause the cervical disk to protrude. This causes pressure on the spinal cord and is known as herniated cervical disk or spondylosis.

Treatment

If diagnosed with arthritis in neck symptoms, it does not mean that you have to take medications for life. Nowadays, there are many natural treatments for arthritis available that help in pain management. You may have to cut down on smoking as it causes degenerative diseases to accelerate. You will also have to avoid activities that put strain on the neck and reduce weight if one is overweight as a part of arthritis treatment.

Medical treatment involves restriction of neck movement with a cervical collar. If the collar is not sufficient to provide relief as well as support, a neck brace may be fitted. Non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen may be prescribed. These medications help in controlling the swelling as well as other symptoms of neck arthritis. A severe episode of arthritis in neck pain may be treated with steroid epidural that is injected in the affected part directly.

If the arthritis in neck pain is too severe and is not controllable with medications as well as braces, surgery maybe performed. Also, if a patient suffers from neurological defects that lead to symptoms like difficulty in walking, total weakness in hands and bladder problems, surgery is considered. You can speak to your doctor about the symptoms and look for suitable pain management in arthritis treatment options.