I have had diabetes my entire life, and I am very thankful for the fact that modern medical discoveries have helped me live a happy, healthy life despite my disease. I have had to watch what I eat and take medications daily for most of my life, and while i used to feel like I was "missing out" when other children were able to eat sugary candy and I wasn't, I eventually learned that sugar-free candy tastes great. I am always keeping up on the latest diabetes research, and while researching, I have also learned about many other diseases and ailments and how they are treated and controlled. I know others are too busy to browse a bunch of medical websites, like I like to do, so I decided to start a blog that others can visit that contains information on a variety of medical topics all in one place!
Modern Medicine Saves Lives Every Day
Understanding The Treatment Options For Your Cervical Spondylosis
For Content
When you have been suffering from constant and frustrating neck pain for a long time, you may find yourself relieved to have the condition identified as cervical spondylosis. Once you have a diagnosis, after all, you can develop a treatment program with your pain management and back doctors. Get to know some of the treatments that you may be able to use for your cervical spondylosis so that you will know what to expect and be able to talk with your doctors about the treatment options that interest you most.
Over-the-Counter and Prescription Medications
Most physicians will want to opt to treat your cervical spondylosis in the most non-invasive manner possible. This means that they will start with the easiest treatments on your body and progressively move toward surgical interventions if needed. As such, the first treatment that you may be told to try is to take regular doses of over-the-counter painkillers, specifically non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen.
If these over-the-counter medications are not effective in standard doses, then your doctor may move you up to prescription pain medications. One of these options would be opioid pain medications such as codeine or Percocet ( a medication that combines acetaminophen and oxycodone). These medications are more potent than the over-the-counter pain medications but have the disadvantage of being potentially addictive. Because of their addictive nature, opioid pain medications are prescribed sparingly and you need to be diligent to avoid developing an addiction or dependence.
Alternative Medicine Options
Rather than depend on medications, some patients with cervical spondylosis would prefer to treat their condition with alternative medicine treatment options. One of the alternative medicine options that may be effective for cervical spondylosis is acupuncture.
Acupuncture is a treatment option that uses tiny needles inserted into key energy points throughout the body. These energy points trigger a response in the nervous system that can help to reduce pain and discomfort and can even trigger the healing processes needed to reduce inflammation in the neck and spine. Other alternative medicine treatment options include massage therapy, chiropractic care, and yoga. All of these can help relieve pressure in the cervical spine and help reduce pain and discomfort.
Neck Surgery
Surgery on the cervical spine is also an option to treat cervical spondylosis. Back surgeons have several different treatment options that they can use to treat this condition. If there is a cervical disc in the spine that is putting pressure on the nerves and is the source of the inflammation that cervical spondylosis causes, then one option is to remove the disc in a procedure known as an anterior cervical discectomy. The vertebrae are then fused together to maintain the structure of the neck and prevent further issues.
A laminectomy is also a surgical option for cervical spondylosis. This treatment involves removing portions of the bones in the neck that may be protruding and causing pain and discomfort. Discs in the cervical spine can also be replaced by prosthetic discs to relieve pressure, though this is less commonly used than other surgical options.
Now that you know some of the treatment options for cervical spondylosis, you can be prepare for what is to come and be able to talk with your doctors about any treatment options that you would prefer to use in your treatment program. To learn more, visit a website like http://swfna.com.
Share