Cervical Spondylosis Solution In Singapore

What is Cervical Spondylosis?

Cervical spondylosis in Singapore is a chronic condition in which the vertebrae in your neck cause pressure on the spinal cord and/or nerve roots. These pressure points may lead to pain, numbness, or weakness in your arms or legs.

It’s important to know what causes cervical spondylosis so you can take steps towards preventing this common condition from progressing.

Causes of Cervical Spondylosis?

Spinal stenosis can be caused by degenerative changes like arthritis, disc herniation (bulging), narrowing of the opening through which nerves exit from each vertebra (spinal canal), or other conditions that affect cervical alignment. The condition is common among middle-aged adults and older people. Cervical spondylosis can be caused by injury or prolonged standing or sitting with poor posture. It may also be related to genetic factors such as age, sex, race/ethnicity, occupation type (e.g., manual labor).

Types of Spondylosis

• Lumbar Spondylosis
• Ankylosing Spondylitis
• Cervical Spondylosis
• Enteropathic Arthritis (EnA)
• Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA)
• Reactive Arthritis (ReA)
• Undifferentiated Spondyloarthritis (USpA)
• Juvenile Spondyloarthritis (JSpA)
• Spondylosis Classification
• Axial Spondyloarthritis (AxSpA)
• Peripheral Spondyloarthritis (pSpA)

Why Do I Have Spondylosis?

Many people suffer from aches, pain and stiffness caused by degenerative wear and tear changes of the joint known as osteoarthritis.

When osteoarthritis affects the spine, it is known to as cervical (neck), thoracic (mid back) and lumber (low back) spondylosis.

While common in older people, younger patients who have previous trauma to their joints can also develop spondylosis.
People with increased body weight as well as those with genetic and occupational factors are also at risk.

Spondylosis is a non-inflammatory arthritis characterized by pain and disability. It can affect a person’s life for the long term. If not properly treated, it can cause very significant personal distress, making it hard to walk, needing time off work, affect a person’s social interactions and result in depressed mood.

What Should I Do If I have Cervical Or Lumbar Spondylosis?

Always consult your doctor if you observe the following features:

• Joint aches, pain and stiffness which has developed over months or years
• Fluctuating symptoms giving you good days (without or with less pain) and bad days (with more pain)
• Discomfort related to movement and weight bearing
• Symptoms relieved with rest
• Your joint feels stiff on getting up in the morning but only for a brief period

Do I Need To Do an X-ray or MRI?

Many mild cases can usually be well managed by an experienced doctor who can provide a clinical diagnosis based on a patients clinical history and physical examination.

Where the initial treatments have not been effective, an X-ray would be a cost-effective way to confirm the diagnosis. An X-ray might reveal osteophytes, which small bony projections also known as bone spurs. It may also reveal a reduced disc space due to degenerative intervertebral disc damage.

In some cases, an MRI could also be useful to provide a precise diagnosis and exclude other causes of joint pain.

How Can Spondylosis Be Treated?

For many patients with lumbar spondylosis and cervical spondylosis in Singapore, their doctors will likely prescribe rest and medications for a short period of time. Long-term medications as a lumbar and cervical spondylosis solution are less likely to be curative and risk potential side effects.
Physiotherapy when properly applied is another well accepted option.

Using techniques such as manual therapy, stretches and muscle strengthening exercises, it can have a good result in many patients.

Glucosamine based joint supplements have also become very popular over the past few years. However, years of clinical experience have also now shown them to be of very limited benefit.

• “Do not offer glucosamine or chondroitin products for the management of osteoarthritis.” [2014] National Institute for Health and Care Excellence ,UK

Can Traditional Treatments Help Spondylosis?

Spondylosis can result in tight muscles in the back and neck. Some people with lumbar and cervical spondylosis in Singapore use traditional massage and acupuncture for the relief of back and neck stiffness. While the relief may not always last for long, they can be helpful.

Why Are My Treatments Not Working?

When the previous treatments are not successful, we often find a few common factors:

• The previous diagnosis was not precise. Imaging scans and clinical experience can often be very helpful in these cases.
• Treatment was prescribed which took into account only one aspect of the condition. e.g., treating only the inflammatory component of spondylosis using painkillers without addressing the underlying wear and tear.
• Limited available options available. Patients were only offered painkillers and glucosamine instead of newer medical solutions.
• Patients were offered impractical treatment plans which they could not accept. Common examples include being offered expensive and frequent treatments for extended periods.

Is Surgery Necessary?

In rare and severe cases, surgery might be recommended by a surgeon. In most other patients, even where pain and stiffness are severe or have been present for a long time, there are multiple non-surgical options that a patient should first consider.

As surgery can have significant risks and cost, it is important to balance this against the potential benefits expected.

I Had Surgery And It Did Not Work. Why?

In some cases, patients may continue to suffer from symptoms of pain and stiffness after surgery. This can be a source of significant frustration especially when you expected surgery to be a dramatic “last hope”. It can also be confusing when you are told “the scans are okay” or “the surgery was successful” but do not feel well.

This can be a complex condition and there are many possible reasons.

In some patients, the body has not had enough time to fully recover and symptoms will improve with rest. At times, there could be some technical aspects of surgery that should best be discussed with your surgeon.

There are also cases where a patient’s original symptoms are caused by multiple factors such as inflammation, joint dysfunction, degeneration, and muscular trigger points.
Surgery may correct one specific cause of the patient’s symptoms but not be able to address the other causes.

In such instances, a comprehensive post-surgery treatment plan is likely needed.

Can I Use Medisave And Medical Insurance To Pay For Treatments?

As our treatments are very affordable and cost-effective, many patients choose to self pay. For those with insurance coverage, we are happy to help support medical claims.

Medisave is another very popular option to help pay for medical treatments.

What Is Your Doctor’s Experience Treating Spondylosis?

Dr Terence Tan has been treating spondylosis pain in Singapore at The Pain Relief Clinic since 2007. For the past 15 years, he has been using non-invasive technology to help patients get relief from spondylosis pain problems.

He is accredited with both the Family Physician Accreditation Board and the Singapore Medical Council. He is also a member of the Singapore Medical Association and The Pain Association of Singapore.

Committed to providing quick pain relief, his philosophy is to always offer patients the safest, most effective and least invasive technology driven  treatments possible.

What New Treatment Options Can The Pain Relief Clinic Offer For My Spondylosis?

At The Pain Relief Clinic, we adopt a biomedical targeted approach that addresses how the multiple aspects of osteoarthritis affect you.

This allows us to provide treatment strategy using medical technology in a comprehensive and cost-effective way.

The aim of treatments is to improve your symptoms as well as to prevent long term deterioration and surgery.

Depending on the severity of your osteoarthritis, some of the useful options that can give very good results include:

• Dietary Correction
• Non-Invasive Indiba Therapy which gives rapid and long lasting recovery
• Rehabilitative Electromedical Stimulation

If you are suffering from Spondylosis, or if your condition has not improved despite other treatments, we are able to help.