Pharmacological treatment usually consists of the use of conventional analgesia.
In the vast majority of cases of cervical osteoarthritis there is no clear cause that justifies osteoarthritis. Photo: Shutterstock.
The artrosis cervical Cervicoarthrosis occurs when the cartilage of the joints of the cervical spine is injured or degenerated. The artrosis cervical It is very common in people over 50 years of age and often goes unnoticed because it does not produce symptoms.
Symptoms
The most common symptom of cervicoarthrosis is neck pain (cervicalgia) that appears with movement. In addition, patients with cervicoarthrosis often report stiffness that lasts a short time and improves with movement.
Neck pain can occur acutely, that is, with a rapid onset and disappearance in a few days, or more often, it will behave like chronic neck pain. In this case, the pain appears more slowly and lasts longer (weeks or months). Its intensity is usually mild or moderate and it is located in the back and lower part of the neck.
Cervicoarthrosis is sometimes asymptomatic and is diagnosed as a finding on x-rays of the cervical spine for another reason.
Origen
The cause of osteoarthritis is considered to be the consequence of a sum of genetic and environmental factors, although in some cases there is a clear cause such as previous trauma, infection, congenital malformation, etc. In these cases, osteoarthritis is considered to be secondary (consequence) to this process. In the vast majority of cases of artrosis cervical There is no clear cause that justifies osteoarthritis and, therefore, it is considered to appear due to the sum of certain genetic and environmental factors.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of osteoarthritis is made taking into account the symptoms explained by the patient (pain, limitation of movement and stiffness) as well as the examination carried out by the rheumatologist in which pain and limitation of mobility usually stand out. The most frequently requested complementary tests are simple x-rays of the cervical spine in which typical signs of cervicoarthrosis can be seen.
Treatment
The goal of treatment is to improve pain and improve quality of life. For this, several alternatives are available: physical measures, drugs and surgery.
Pharmacological treatment usually consists of the use of conventional analgesia (paracetamol) and if it is not enough, anti-inflammatories can be associated during the acute phase of pain. In patients in whom the use of anti-inflammatories is contraindicated, opioid analgesic drugs such as tramadol may be useful. On the other hand, if the muscle contracture component is considered important, muscle relaxants can be associated during the acute phase of neck pain.
The rheumatologist is the physician with the most experience in establishing the diagnosis of artrosis cervical and differentiate it from other joint diseases, as well as to establish the optimal treatment according to the degree of the disease. The rheumatologist will refer you to other specialists when necessary and will advise you in due course about the advisability of surgery.
Fuente: Journal of Arthritis and Rheumatology.