Cervical Arthritis

Pain in the neck - Literally! It is a type of arthritis that affects the upper spine causing pain in the neck. The cervical spine consists of seven distinct vertebral bodies that are separated by intervertebral discs. These discs support the neck while giving it flexibility. Cervical arthritis is caused when the cervical vertebrae in the neck deteriorate accompanied by the deterioration of the cartilage that provides shock absorption. These changes gradually constrict the space in the vertebra, which causes extreme neck pain. Men are more likely than women to develop this type of arthritis. However, postmenopausal women have a higher incidence of this disease.

Causes:

• Injury or repeated trauma to the neck due to work nature.
• Presence of other types of arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis .

Symptoms:

• Muscle weakness, with numbness in the neck and arms, perhaps also the hands and fingers
• Tenderness to the touch at the neck itself
• Stiffness which limits movement of the neck particularly noticeable in backing up a car
• Headaches
• Loss of Balance

Holistic medicine offers arthritis sufferers lasting relief from pain and inflammation. According to the holistic medicine approach, arthritis is a disease that results from multiple causes, many of them with less-than-obvious connections to the disease or causes not easily detectable.

Skilled holistic medicine doctors take the time needed to find the root causes of arthritis. Holistic medicine concentrates its diagnosis and a treatment plan around a "customized" approach.

With holistic medicine, health is restored to the patient rather than simply providing superficial symptomatic relief.