Arthritis Series: Healing Cervical Spondylosis or Arthritis of the Neck with Naturopathy Treatment

1. Osteoarthritis 2. Rheumatoid arthritis 3. Fibromyalgia 4. Gout
   5. Cervical Spondylosis or Arthritis of the Neck

Naturopathy can completely help treat and manage Cervical Spondylosis. It begins healing the ligaments and muscles from inside and provides comfort to the bones

Cervical Spondylosis, also referred to as Cervical Osteoarthritis usually occurs with progression of age. It happens as the wear and tear in the cartilage, bones or cervical spine. There are noticeable changes in the bones joints, discs, or the neck. It is more commonly found in the middle aged and the old people.
If it is not age related, it can also be lifestyle related. Some of the common reasons are:

• Hypertension
• Obesity
• Sedentary life
• Neck injuries
• Long hours of sitting in front of computer
• Improper diet, particularly lack of protein

The cervical discs lose fluid as they break down and become stiffer.  With this occurrence, spurs or an abnormal growth develops on the neck bones. The patient experiences more pain with the extra pressure that falls on the spinal column or nerve roots because of the growth.

Symptoms:

The symptoms can be anything from mild to severe. They may include:

• Headache originating at the neck
• Tingling or ache in the arms
• Tingling or Ache in the shoulder
• Loss of bladder or bowel control
• Hindered movement in the neck or the head

How can naturopathy help in treating Cervical Spondylosis?

“Naturopathy can completely help treat and manage Cervical Spondylosis. It begins healing the ligaments and muscles from inside and provides comfort to the bones”, says Dr. Mathur at Sanjeevani Kaya Shodhan Sanstan. There is no requirement of medical procedures or medicines.

Of course the healing varies from person to person depending on their other health issues. Mostly the Naturopathic treatment of consists of the

It heals the muscles and ligaments from inside and provides comfort to the bones without any medicines or medical procedures. Naturopathic treatment for Cervical Spondylosis usually combines some of the treatments listed below:

• Diet Management to ensure right amount of calcium and protein intake
• Correction of Posture Corrections to stop the recurrence
• Physiotherapy- Exercises including yoga and cervical exercises
• Sun Baths to help generate Vitamin D in the body. Much required for proper absorption of calcium in the body and improved bone health.
• Acupressure helps in relaxing the cervical area
• Massage Therapy helps treat the numbness in veins and heals sore muscles. The stiffness, discomfort and pain reduce drastically.
• Hydro Therapy and Mud Therapy provides relief to cervical patient. They help the muscles to relax from constant tension and return to natural state.

Diet to Control Cervical Spondylosis:

• Omega 3 fatty acids rich food with vitamin E work as anti-inflammatory: Nuts, fish, and oil seeds. 
• Apple, ginger, garlic and turmeric must be included for their anti-inflammatory properties. You can combine crushed garlic with vegetable oil. You can take turmeric in warm milk. And take ginger tea.
• Take fruit juices and vegetable soup routinely in your diet.
• Take chapatti/ wheat.
• Take more of bitter vegetables- bitter gourd (karela)

Foods to Avoid:

• Acidic foods as white potato, red meat, and coffee are foods to avoid.
• Spicy, oily, hot salty foods should not be taken.
• Avoid rice

Application

• Application of ice and heat pack is helpful.        

Cervical Spondylosis is generally a long-term condition but not progressive. Naturopathy can help control with diet management, therapies, exercises and posture correction.