Cervical ( neck) spondylosis any experiences?

[BrigitsBigKnickers]

DH (53) has had a lot of pain in his neck and down his arm for the past few weeks. He sees an osteopath regularly for lower back adjustments and he organised an MRI ( privately) which has shown wear and tear in the cervical vertebrae.

He has been pretty much told that there is very little that can be done and that the condition is just managed with physio, painkillers and anti inflammatories.

He is really quite distraught over this- we sail and had hoped to do loads more in our retirement which he now thinks is not going to be possible. Tends to be a glass half full person and has suffered with depression in the past. I am worried this may tip him over the edge.

I have been looking into natural remedies that may help along side his medication ( turmeric and glucosamine are some that have been recommended.)

Anyone got any experience with this condition and how to manage it?

[HoozTurnIsIt]

I would try a physiotherapist rather than an osteopath.
I have the same condition and it is much improved with neck exercises. Even simple exercises done while lying flat work well but have to be done daily forever. I was also told to use a thin pillow which I hate but it makes a massive difference. (One night in a hotel with a normal pillow and I'm in pain for days).

[FermatsTheorem]

My mum had this. She found sleeping flat on her back without a pillow helped.

Be careful with anti-inflammatories. My mum eventually found that her stomach could no longer tolerate them. Obviously your DH will need them to cope with acute pain, but look into various forms of drug delivery such as topical gels absorbed through the skin rather than taken as tablets. And always take drugs like ibuprofen on a full stomach.

[moreismore]

There’s not a great correlation between what a scan shows and the symptoms someone has. There is a good correlation between negative feelings about your pain, pain avoidance behaviour and chronic pain.
Spondylosis just means narrowing-part or normal wear and tear. It will have happened gradually. Pain down one arm is a cervical radiculopathy-an acute condition. His susceptibility to it will have been increased by the narrowing but there’s no reason to think it can’t be resolved. It may recur, but that can be managed just like any other flare up of an old injury. Stopping activities you enjoy would be the worst thing he could do.
I think you need to find someone confident in managing the acute condition and who is able to give you ongoing support to manage and minimise flare ups.
The person is more important than the job title-a chiropractor/osteopath/physio would be able to help but it needs to be the right fit. It doesn’t sound like his current osteo is the right person.

[Yogagirl123]

I also have this condition.

The best thing I have found to help my neck is a supportive memory foam neck care pillow. Also yoga exercises for the neck really help keep everything moving, looking over the right and left shoulder, head down to each shoulder, rolling head across the chest and back to centre.

Heat also helps my neck, and I have a neck massager, that helps when it’s really playing up.

Any dx takes time to accept, is there a support group/charity that can help your DH. I can’t see why the condition would prevent him from doing his hobbies, just take some extra care.

For me this condition is the least of my worries to be honest. Neurologist didn’t even bother to mention it until the end of the consultation as I had far worse news at that appointment unfortunately.

[Yogagirl123]

Brilliant post Moreismore.

[BrigitsBigKnickers]

Thanks - that seems quite reassuring. Actually his osteopath is brilliant-he has treated him quite conservatively up to now as he wanted to see what the scan until showed so he knew what sort of treatment DH needed. He has actually just come round to our house to talk about the diagnosis and was really quite positive that it can be treated. Gave some exercises and also said that giving up hobbies and activities is absolutely the wrong thing to do.

He absolutely needs the strong painkillers/ anti-inflammatories at the moment. The doctor has also prescribed omeprezole along side the Naxopren and DH knows to take the medication after food. We are also getting various supplements which hopefully will help.

[BrigitsBigKnickers]

The be clear it is the GP that told him nothing could be done- the osteopath was very much more positive.

[moreismore]

yogagirl Thank you

Sorry I misread your post and thought osteo hadn’t been very positive. In that case your DH’s emotions are totally normal and I would just support him in focusing on the positives. There is a lot that can be done and life is not over! Hope he makes a good and speedy recovery.

[SansasSnatch]

My dh has this. He has just started Amitriptyline 10mg which helps a bit and so he is now having an injection in a few weeks l can’t teneber the name but it’s in his actual neck. He will have to be in hospital for 4 hours and a couple of days off work. This is a long term condition and the injection is the last resort. He already tried steroid guided injection in shoulder which didn’t work. However he is philosophical as it is what it is. He was on naproxen for over a decade. He is 48. Sorry I’m out so this is a sloppy post but will return later