Cervical Spondylosis
At The Brain and Spine Centre, we specialize in the diagnosis and surgical treatment of neurological and spinal disorders. Dr. Muhammad Aqeel Natt, a leading neurosurgeon in Lahore, provides advanced, safe, and compassionate care for patients.
Cervical Spondylosis
Cervical spondylosis is age-related degenerative arthritis of the neck causing disc degeneration, bone spurs, and potential nerve or spinal cord compression. At The Brain and Spine Centre, Dr. Muhammad Aqeel Natt manages cervical spondylosis at Farooq Hospital, West Wood Branch, Lahore, with conservative therapies, injections, and surgical decompression or fusion when neurological deficits develop.
Our goal is simple: relieve neck pain and radiculopathy, prevent myelopathy, and maintain neck function through targeted intervention.
What Is Cervical Spondylosis?
Cervical spondylosis involves progressive wear-and-tear changes in cervical discs, facet joints, uncovertebral joints, and ligaments after age 40-50, leading to disc height loss, osteophytes, and foraminal/canal stenosis. It affects C5-C6 and C6-C7 most commonly; asymptomatic in many but symptomatic when neural structures compress.
Symptoms of Cervical Spondylosis
Symptoms range from mild to severe myelopathy.
Common features:
Neck pain/stiffness, worse with extension; clicking/grinding sounds.
Radiculopathy: arm/shoulder pain, numbness/tingling (C6: thumb; C7: middle finger), weakness.
Headaches (occipital), dizziness, vertigo.
Myelopathy: gait imbalance, hand clumsiness, hyperreflexia, Lhermitte’s sign, bowel/bladder issues (urgent).
Diagnosis
Clinical exam and imaging confirm.
Physical: reduced ROM, Spurling’s test positive, Hoffman/Babinski for myelopathy.
MRI: disc degeneration, stenosis, cord signal change.
X-ray/CT: osteophytes, alignment.
Treatment Options
Most (~80%) managed conservatively; surgery for neurology/myelopathy.
Conservative:
NSAIDs, PT (stretching, isometric exercises), heat/ice.
Cervical epidural injections.
Surgical indications:
Progressive myelopathy, refractory radiculopathy >6 months.
Procedures:
ACDF: discectomy/fusion/plating.
Laminoplasty/foraminotomy for multilevel disease.
The Procedure
At The Brain and Spine Centre:
Anterior ACDF: remove disc/osteophytes, cage/graft/plate.
Posterior: laminectomy +/- fusion.
Intraoperative neuromonitoring.
Recovery & Aftercare
Hospital: 1-2 days; soft collar 4-6 weeks.
PT: ROM, strengthening at 6 weeks.
Full recovery 3-6 months.
Results You Can Expect
Conservative: pain relief in 70-80%.
ACDF: 90% radiculopathy relief; myelopathy improvement 60-80% if early.
Risks: dysphagia (anterior, 10%), nonunion (5%).
Why Choose The Brain and Spine Centre
Expertise in ACDF and motion-preserving options. Advanced imaging/monitoring. Multidisciplinary rehab.
Cost of Cervical Spondylosis Treatment
Varies by conservative vs surgical; estimates post-MRI.
