✅With advanced age some degree of bone degeneration (deterioration) is normal.Hence Cervical Spondylosis is commonly seen in the middle aged and elderly people.
✅Any kind of trauma to the neck region may also result in early degeneration of the bones.
✅People suffering from degenerative diseases like Osteoarthritis are more prone to develop Cervical Spondylosis.

Usually a person may have no symptoms, unless there is compression or stretching of cervical nerves or spinal cord.Symptoms may include:

✅Pain and stiffness in the neck, reducing the range of movement especially rotation and lateral (sideways) movement of the head.
✅Neck pain may also radiate to the shoulder and to the arms and usually gets worse with movements of neck, coughing sneezing or straining effort.
✅Headache especially at the back of head.
✅Tingling, burning sensation or loss of sensation at shoulder, arms or forearm.
✅Nausea, giddiness and vertigo, tinnitus (ringing in ear).
✅Muscle weakness or wasting of muscles of the shoulder, arms, or hands.
✅Weakness in lower limbs and loss of control of the bladder and bowel movements (if spinal cord is compressed).

It can be judiciously controlled in the following ways:

✅Neck exercise (with doctor consultation) to strengthen the muscles and increse the range of the movement.Exercises may be learned from a physiotherapist and practiced at home regularly.
✅Restriction of neck movements by means of cervical collar may relieve pain.
✅Painkillers and muscle relaxants (with doctor consultation) can also help in relieving pain Avoid any unnecessary strain in the neck area:
✅Avoid driving car but if driving, wear a cervical collar and avoid any jerky movements as it may trigger pain.
✅Avoid bending neck for long hours, after every two hour take a 5 minutes break and carry out neck exercise prescribed by the physiotherapist.
✅Neck traction (a process of pulling) with the help of a special device may also be recommended by the doctor to relieve pain.
✅Short wave diathermy or Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) may provide pain relief.Surgery may be required only in severe cases where there is significant
loss of muscle strength or sensation or if the symptoms do not respond to the above measures.

There are more than hundred forms of arthritis and in most common of them some dietary modifications are advised to patients.This not only eases the pain but also reduces the chance of other associated complications.Some forms of arthritis like Gout has a close relationship with dietary practices.

Maintain your ideal weight- Obese people are more prone to these disorders because, excess weight puts an added burden on weight-bearing joints, which can worsen the situation.So, try to avoid excess calories and make your meals light (low-fat) and healthy.If you are obese, try to reduce the weight gradually.Do not practice fasting or crash diet as these practices do more harm than good.
✅Eat a well-balanced diet- your diet should compromise of all the major food groups (cereals, pulses, milk, flesh, foods, vegetables, fruits, fats and sugars).However, the form of meat consumed can be altered.It has been observed that fish and fish based oils have some anti-inflammatory properties (due to the presence of omega-3 fatty acids) and are therefore, beneficial in arthritis.
✅Fluid intake-Liberal fluid intake (up to 2-2.5 L/day) is advised.
✅Vitamins and minerals- Sometimes different dietary supplements are used to correct the imbalance of vitamins and minerals.Vitamin D, C and Calcium are of utmost importance in arthritis.Some rich sources of them are milk and milk based products, leafy green vegetables, mackerel and other oily fishes.
✅Regular physical exercises- Regular exercise schedule not only takes care of obesity but also provides some movement to joints.Proper exercises can be selected with the consultation of some good physical trainer.

✅Avoid high calorie, deep-fried fatty foods and use combination of various oils as the cooking medium (rice bran, sesame, groundnut, sunflower, safflower, cottonseed, corn, mustard, soybean oils can be used).
✅In gout you have to avoid purine rich food products like glandular meat (brain, kidney, liver, heart etc), meat extracts, sea foods, sardines, beans, peas, lentils, spinach, oatmeal, yeast and yeast based products.
✅Avoid alcohol completely.

Yes, some studies have indicated that omega 3 fatty acids (a type of polyunsaturated fatty acids) have some anti-inflammatory qualities.Due to this they can help in reducing joint tenderness and morning stiffness in the arthritis patients.Some rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids are fishes (salmon, mackerel, herring etc.), mustard soyabean., flaxseed and evening primrose oil.There are various supplements available in market for Arthritis patients.Are they effective? Supplements that contains Glucosamine and Chondroitin sulphate can provide some relief in Arthritis symptoms.Glucosamine not only helps in protecting joint structure but also provides pain relief and increased mobility.Similarly, Chondroitin sulphate helps in repairing the damaged articular cartilage.

It has been observed that high intake of antioxidants specially vitamin C reduces the progression of osteoarthritis.However, antioxidants cannot prevent the onset of diseases.Other antioxidants, which can be useful in Arthritis, are vitamin A and E.Some rich sources of these vitamins are wheat, papaya, pineapple, mango, citrus fruits, carrots, pumpkin, dark green leafy vegetables and tomatoes.

Yes, exercising forms an integral part of the arthritis control plan and helps in lifting the sprits.It helps to maintain: Normal muscle strength, Joint structure and Function of joint and The type and pattern of exercises have to be individualized depending on the type of arthritis, the joints involved, the range of mobility and extent of joint damage.

✅Before starting an exercise programme always consult your doctor and get an individualized exercise plan made for yourself.
✅Identify the type of exercise you feel more comfortable.
✅Massage or apply heat/cold application to the sore joint before starting the exercise.
✅Warm up before exercising by starting exercise at a slower pace.
✅Know your limit and don't over do the exercise
✅Do exercise at a comfortable pace and allow the muscles to relax in between.
✅Doing exercise exactly as per the instruction is more important than doing it number of times.
✅Wear comfortable clothes and shoes while exercising.
✅While exercising avoid jerky movements.
✅Cool down for 5-10 minutes after the exercise.To cool down, simply do exercise activity at a slower pace, such as walking slowly.
✅Avoid exercising during flare ups i.e.when you are having symptoms.
✅Stop exercising immediately if you have:
✅Severe pain in chest.
✅Severe breathlessness.
✅Dizzy feeling or sick feeling in the stomach Note :
✅In osteoarthritis of knees or hip, all exercises need to be done in non- weight bearing position (i.e.not in standing position).