What Are Cervical Bone Spurs?

Cervical spine spur, also known as cervical osteogenesis, refers to the formation of scar tissue on the edge of bone joints due to long-term chronic injury, which can form calcium deposits and become bones over time. Bone hyperplasia of the cervical spine is a physiological degenerative change of bones and joints in the middle and old age, and is an inevitable result of human aging. Its formation is closely related to the pressure and anatomical and physiological characteristics of bones, joints and vertebrae of people of different ages and professions.

Chinese Medicine Name: Cervical spine
Affiliated Department: Surgery-Orthopedics
Disease site: Cervical spine

The main symptoms: Soreness, swelling, pain
Multiple groups: Young people
Whether to enter health insurance: Yes
treatment method: Easy to use and thorough

Basic overview of cervical spine

Cervical spine spurs, also known as "cervical vertebra hyperplasia," refer to the formation of scar tissue hyperplasia due to chronic chronic injury on the edge of bone and joints, which is formed by long-term calcium deposits. It is a common site for elderly patients with degenerative osteoarthritis.

Cervical bone hyperplasia is commonly known as bone spur, also known as osteophyte. Studies have shown that its formation is closely related to the pressure and anatomical and physiological characteristics of bones, joints and vertebrae of people of different ages and professions. Cervical spurs are clinical symptoms of degenerative changes in bones and joints, loosening of ligaments, decreased muscle strength, and formation of bone spurs around the joints due to age, long-term fatigue and other reasons. In addition, bone hyperplasia can also be caused by joint trauma, malformation, etc., causing joint surface unevenness and uneven symptoms.

Cervical spine classification

Cervical spine hyperplasia is a state, and cervical spondylosis is a disease. In the case of long-term chronic injury of the cervical spine, cervical disc disease, ligament damage, facet joint disorders, and bone hyperplasia can occur, resulting in a series of clinical manifestations. For cervical spondylosis. According to the degree and location of cervical nerve and blood vessel compression by the proliferated cervical spine, it can be divided into the following five types:

1 Cervical spine spurs 1, nerve root type

The hyperplasia of the bones has compressed the cervical nerve roots and caused the corresponding manifestations. The incidence rate is 60% of cervical spondylosis. The main points of diagnosis:

Most people are between 40 and 60 years old, more men than women.

has more typical root symptoms, such as neck, shoulder, arm pain, numbness, and wrist, finger radiation pain, and its scope is consistent with the area dominated by cervical spine nerves.

Neck movement kinetic energy disorders, especially restricted extension and rotation.

Suffering from spinous process tenderness, intervertebral foramen compression test and brachial plexus nerve tension test were positive.

X-ray of the cervical spine showed bone hyperplasia at the posterior edge of the vertebral body and the joints of the hook vertebrae. ,

2 Cervical Spine 2, Vertebral Artery Type

Hyperplastic bone compression or stimulation of the vertebral artery causes vertebrobasilar spasm and insufficient blood supply. The incidence rate is about 10% to 15% of cervical spondylosis. Key points for diagnosis:

Middle-aged and older patients often suffer from dizziness, migraine, visual impairment, dysphonia, tinnitus, deafness, and sudden collapse due to changes in the head and neck position.

Patients' neck movements were often restricted at the time of onset, and the neck rotation induction test was positive.

X-ray films of the cervical spine and oblique position showed osteoarticular hyperplasia and pathological displacement of the affected vertebrae.

3 Cervical spine spurs3 .

Mostly caused by hyperplastic bone and cervical degenerative disc herniation into the spinal canal to compress the spinal cord, accounting for about 10% to 50%. Key points for diagnosis:

Middle-aged and older patients have numbness in their limbs, soreness, burning, pain, "feeling on cotton" when walking, unstable body center of gravity, and fall easily.

Increased limb muscle tension, weakened muscle strength, hypertenoid reflex, weakened knee reflex, and pathological reflex.

X-ray of the cervical spine showed osteogenesis in the posterior margin of the vertebral body, cervical spinal stenosis, and obstruction on radiographic examination.

4 Cervical spurs 4, esophagus type

This type is less common due to the pressure of the posterior wall of the esophagus due to the bone hyperplasia of the anterior margin of the cervical spine. Key points for diagnosis:

Middle-aged or older.

The patient has symptoms of throat discomfort, foreign body sensation, and difficulty swallowing.

X-ray film showed osteoproliferation at the anterior edge of the vertebra.

5 Cervical spine spurs 5, sympathetic nerve type

Hyperplasia of the bones compresses the sympathetic nerves on both sides of the cervical spine, and this type is rare. Key points for diagnosis:

Middle-aged or older.

The cleft eye is large on one side and small on the other. The pupils are not large and sometimes the vision is unclear. Half of the face is dry and sweaty.

X-ray film showed cervical hyperplasia-like changes.

Etiology and pathology of cervical spine

Causes of cervical spurs

Cervical spine hyperplasia is a common orthopedic disease, which accounts for a larger proportion of osteoproliferative diseases. If the cervical osteogenesis is not treated in time, there will be endless problems. The causes of the disease are as follows:

One: cervical spine degenerative changes

With the development of different stages of age, different changes can occur in the cervical spine and intervertebral disc. At the same time as the cervical spine undergoes degenerative changes, the intervertebral disc also changes accordingly.

2: Strains and Bad Postures

The head and neck have been in a single posture for a long time. People who like to watch TV, read books, sit high, and sleep in bed are prone to cervical osteogenesis. Common people such as accountants, writers, and software developers need to keep their heads down for a long time; students Due to the heavy workload of homework, improper sitting postures when reading, writing, air conditioning for a long time, or uncontrolled computer operation, there is less exercise. If the long-term intake of calcium-containing food is small, the cervical spine is prone to spur hyperplasia.

3: head and neck trauma

In some patients, cervical spine is in a critical state of stenosis due to cervical osteogenesis, cervical disc herniation, and soft tissue lesions in the spinal canal. Neck trauma often induces symptoms.

Cervical spine spur pathology

Cervical vertebrae appear degenerative changes, discs become thinner, vertebral body spaces become narrower, ligaments become loose, curvature changes, intervertebral body mobility increases, and small, repetitive, and cumulative injuries appear at the vertebral body edges, resulting in tiny localized Bleeding and exudation, the calcification of bleeding and exudation gradually, resulting in a local, that is, the upper and lower edges of the vertebral body hyperplastic response. Cervical bone hyperplasia is directly related to age, strain, trauma, and incorrect posture. Cervical bone hyperplasia mostly occurs in sections 4-6, with the highest incidence in section 5 with 83%. The hyperplasia rate of all parts was the largest with the hook process, the upper and lower edges of the vertebral body and the articular process. Patients often feel local pain in the cervical spine, stiff neck, restricted movement, heavy upper limbs, weakness, numbness of fingers and nausea, blurred vision, insomnia, forgetfulness, chest tightness, and mental irritability. With the increase of age, every middle-aged and elderly person will appear, just like a person's eyes will become "presbyopia", can not be regarded as a disease; secondly, for most people, cervical osteogenesis does not equal disease. If there is no symptoms, no treatment is needed; if the cervical spine hyperplasia produces mild compression symptoms, appropriate rest, physiotherapy, sealing and medication can be used to relieve it. Patients with severe compression symptoms of cervical osteogenesis need to be carefully diagnosed by a doctor.

Clinical manifestations of cervical spine

Cervical spurs are actually a type of cervical spondylosis, but cervical spondylosis does not all originate from bone spurs. Patients often experience a strong neck sensation, neck movements are limited or there are popping sounds when they move, pain often radiates to the shoulders and upper limbs, numbness and electric shock sensation in hands and fingers, and can be exacerbated by neck movements. Different lesions involve different parts, and different symptoms appear, which can lead to paralysis in the later stage. Severe cervical spurs can also cause cervical spondylotic hypertension, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, gastritis, angina pectoris, and difficulty swallowing.

Common symptoms of cervical spine

1. Common in middle-aged patients.

2. Cervical spine hyperplasia: Neck and shoulder symptoms: neck and shoulder pain; neck kinetic energy disorders, especially restricted extension and rotation.

3. Symptoms of cervical hyperosteosis in the extremities: numbness in the arms and radiating pain in the wrists and fingers, and the scope is consistent with the area dominated by the cervical spine nerves; "The body's center of gravity is unstable and easy to fall; limb muscle tension increases, muscle strength weakens, tendon reflexes increase, knee reflexes weaken, and pathological reflexes occur.

4. Symptoms of cervical osteogenesis: dizziness, migraine, visual impairment, dysphonia, tinnitus, deafness, cracked eyes on one side and small on the other, pupils of different sizes, and sometimes unclear vision. Half of the face is dry and sweaty.

5. Other cervical hyperplasia symptoms: throat discomfort, foreign body sensation, dysphagia, etc.

Cervical spine spur symptoms

Cervical osteoporosis can be seen as neck discomfort and sore pain in mild cases; it can be combined with spinal cord, vertebral arteries and nerve roots to become various types of cervical spondylosis, and the corresponding clinical manifestations appear:

(1) Symptoms of the nerve root type: pain in the back of the neck and shoulders, numbness like acupuncture or electric shock; restricted neck movement, weakened grip, poor finger movement, and difficulty in fine movements. Can't hold things.

(2) Symptoms of the spinal cord type: This type is most likely to cause paralysis, mostly manifested as unstable gait, heavy walking, feeling like the soles of feet are stepping on cotton, numbness of one or both upper limbs, weak hands, or easy to lose objects.

(3) Sympathetic symptoms: blurred vision, weak eyelids, orbital pain, tearing; tachycardia or bradycardia, pain in the precardiac area and high blood pressure, cold limbs, and decreased body temperature. In case of cold limbs, acupuncture sensation may occur, followed by redness, swelling or increased pain; numbness or pain in the head, face, and neck; tinnitus, deafness, and numbness of the tongue.

(4) Symptoms of vertebral arteries: headache, dizziness, cerebral ischemia; when the head turns to a certain position, it feels dizziness, nausea, vomiting, tinnitus, deafness, and blurred vision. Sudden limb numbness, paresthesia, weakness or sudden fall.

Clinical practice of cervical spine

Clinical practice also proves that, with bone spurs, clinical symptoms do not always occur. Bone spurs do not necessarily mean disease in most cases, but a physiological tissue response. With bone spurs and no clinical symptoms, no deliberate treatment is necessary. Only when bone spurs are identified as the main cause of back and leg pain, treatment is needed. If bone hyperplasia is compressing the spinal cord, it can be removed surgically.

Cervical spine treatment

Cervical spine conservative treatment

1. Traction method : Through the mutual balance between traction and anti-traction, the head and neck are relatively fixed to the physiological curve state, so that the phenomenon of cervical spine curve is gradually changed, but its efficacy is limited and it is only suitable for mild patients; and Traction is forbidden in the acute phase to prevent local inflammation and edema; activities during the traction phase are limited.

2. Physical therapy: Physical therapy is short for physical therapy. It is to apply various physical factors such as sound, light, electricity, heat, and magnetism to the human body in order to treat and prevent diseases.

3. Massage : Massage is an important part of the medicine of the motherland. There is no need to take medicine or injections during treatment, but only by manipulating doctor's hands and simple instruments on certain parts of the body or acupuncture points, along the path of the meridian and the direction of qi and blood movement, applying different methods to achieve the purpose of treatment. However, it is forbidden to massage in the acute phase or acute attack period, otherwise the inflammation and edema of the nerve roots will be aggravated, and the pain will become worse. Cervical spondylosis is accompanied by fractures, bone and joint structural disorders, osteoarthritis, and severe senile osteoporosis. Massage can damage bone and spread infection, and this therapy should be banned.

4. Interventional therapy: a new medical treatment method that can effectively treat cervical spondylosis and lumbar spondylosis.

5. Recipe therapy: When you sleep at night, a beer bottle on the neck pillow must lie on your back.

6. Acupuncture therapy : Acupuncture can pass through blood circulation and have analgesic effect, which can eliminate local edema and inflammation, but for cervical spurs, acupuncture can only help.

Cervical spine surgery

The principle of the surgical method is mainly to reduce compression, eliminate irritation, improve stability, and prevent progressive damage. However, there are many surgical complications and contraindications, high risk, great pain, and patients with general or local conditions that are not suitable for surgery, such as those who are older and poorer, with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease or diabetes, or have anesthetic contraindications. Patients should not be treated surgically.

Cervical spine rehabilitation exercise

Ready posture

Separate your feet and shoulder width, your arms hang down naturally, your body is relaxed, your eyes are flat, you can breathe evenly, and you can sit and sit.

Rub your neck with both palms

Cervical spine exercise model Cross your fingers on the back of your neck and rub it back and forth 100 times.

glance right and left

Turn your head to the left and then to the right, and the amplitude should be large. It is better to consciously swell, 30 times.

Nodded back and forth

When the head is moved forward and backward, the neck is stretched and stretched as far as possible 30 times.

Rotating shoulders and neck

Place your hands on both shoulders, palms down, and rotate your arms 20-30 times from back to front, and 20-30 times from front to back.

Looking up at the moon: Turn your head to the left, and lean back as far as you can. After looking at the upper left for 5 seconds, turn it to the right and look at the upper right for 5 seconds.

Hold your hands up

Raise your hands over your head, palms up, and look up the back of your hand for 5 seconds.

Looking at the scene

With your hand back to your chest, with your right hand outside, Laogong points overlap, press the middle of the imagination, and look at the front for 5 seconds.

Cervical spine prevention

For those patients with cervical spondylosis caused by spinal canal stenosis due to bone hyperplasia, the narrowing of the spinal canal results in long-term compression of the spinal cord nerves and cerebral arteries in the canal, resulting in blocked nerve conduction and blood flow, resulting in chronic cerebral insufficiency, malnutrition, Atrophy, necrosis, and senile dementia eventually become "vegetative" prevention.

1. Don't fall down while sleeping. Pillows should not be too high, too stiff or too flat.

2. Avoid and reduce acute injuries, such as avoiding lifting heavy objects and not emergency braking.

3. Protect from cold and humidity, avoid midnight, take a bath in the early morning or be blown by wind chill. Wind chill shrinks local blood vessels, reduces blood flow, hinders tissue metabolism and waste removal, and dampness prevents skin evaporation.

4. Actively treat local infections and other diseases.

5. Correct the bad posture and reduce the strain. Every 1-2 hours of bowing or raising your head, you need to do neck movements to reduce muscle tension. To prevent the occurrence of cervical spondylosis, the most important thing is to improve the sitting position. When you work hard, you can also do shoulder and neck exercises intermittently.

Other precautions

1. Choosing soft-soled shoes is good for the foot bones

Choosing rubber-soled shoes is better for feet, and jogging shoes are a good choice. Avoid walking on hard surfaces, such as concrete, wood, or carpet-free floors. Add pads at the heels to reduce pain.

2. Avoid being in a damp place and avoid sweating in the wind

Avoid sleeping and lying in a damp place. Do not sweat when the wind blows. Do not take a cold water bath or wash your feet after sweating to prevent wind, humidity and cold from harming the body.

3. Early patients can do some static training

The most critical treatment for early patients is to stabilize the joints and insist on static training of bilateral quadriceps and other contractions, that is, take a lying or sitting position, straighten both lower limbs, and tightly tighten the muscles in front of the thigh. leg.

4, avoid squatting, weight bearing, stairs and other activities that increase joint burden

Avoid squatting, weight-bearing, and going up and down the stairs. If the pain is severe, you can use a linseed bag for hot compresses, or alternately soak your feet with hot and cold water, which is great for reducing symptoms, and massaging your feet with ice can also help.

5. Properly increase outdoor activities and try to avoid prolonged bed rest

Selective exercise can be replaced by cycling or swimming instead of walking or jogging, which achieves the purpose of the exercise without hurting the sick foot.

6. Eat high calcium foods

Bone hyperplasia is largely related to the decline of bone calcium in middle-aged and elderly people. Therefore, in order to ensure the normal needs of bone metabolism in the elderly, milk, eggs, soy products, vegetables and fruits should be eaten, and supplemented if necessary. Calcium.

7.Control weight

Those who are overweight should control their diet, increase their activities, and reduce their weight in order to reduce joint load.

8. Limit protein intake

Excessive protein in food can promote the excretion of calcium from the body, leading to osteoporosis and aggravating the symptoms of bone hyperplasia.