Uncodiscarthrosis is a disease linked to aging of the joints in the cervical vertebrae. It associates wear of the discs located between the cervical vertebrae (cervicarthrosis) with degeneration of the uncus (uncarthrosis). The main symptoms are neck stiffness, headaches, and even cervico-brachial neuralgia. Find out what uncodiscarthrosis is, what its clinical signs are, its causes, and how to limit its progression.
1. Uncodiscarthrosis: what is it?
Uncodiscarthrosis is a rheumatic disease which combines two pathologies: osteoarthritis at the level of the lower cervical vertebrae (C3 to C7), and degeneration of the intervertebral discs located in contact with the osteoarthritic cervical vertebrae. In other words, it combines cervicarthrosis and uncarthrosis. By osteoarthritis, we mean wear and tear of the cartilages which protect the bones, and therefore here, your 7 cervical vertebrae. When cartilage wear is significant, bone lesions can appear. This pathology is encountered more and more frequently with aging. Thus, uncodiscarthrosis can appear around the age of 40, but is mainly found in people aged 50 and over, specifies the Institute of Physiotherapy of Paris.
2. Symptoms of uncodiscarthrosis
Uncodiscarthrosis may be asymptomatic in some people. To date, we do not know why it causes pain in some people, and spares others. In symptomatic cases, intense neck pain occurs mainly at the level of cervical C3 to C7, that is to say at the level of the lower cervical vertebrae. This pain can radiate to the trapezius, or even into the shoulders and upper limbs, if there is nerve compression: we then speak of cervico-brachial neuralgia. These pains are accompanied by stiffness in the neck, a limitation in the range of movements of the head, and headaches.
We can also notice tingling, numbness, paresthesias, and sometimes dizziness (if an artery is compressed by bony growths). These symptoms should lead you to consult your doctor, who, if necessary, will refer you to a rheumatologist. In the absence of treatment, uncodiscarthrosis can lead to serious complications such as severe motor difficulties and chronic neck pain. Intense radicular pain, which extends along the entire nerve path, may occur.
3. The causes of uncodiscarthrosis
Several causes can explain uncodiscarthrosis. The main cause is the natural aging of the cervical joints, more precisely at the level of the uncus, these hooks located on the lateral edges of the body of the cervical vertebrae. These uncus provide stability to the cervical spine, thanks to the junction they form between two cervical vertebrae. However, with aging (especially after age 50), the bones and cartilage that surround them wear out, which leads to osteoarthritic lesions at the level of the uncus, therefore uncarthrosis. In addition to the natural aging of the joints, other factors can lead to uncodiscarthrosis:
- Trauma: whiplash in a car accident, fall with shock to the head and neck.
- Repetitive microtrauma or adopting bad postures. This happens in particular when working on a screen (screen set at the wrong height), sewing work, goldsmithing, or when diligently playing a musical instrument (violin for example).
- A congenital malformation of the spine or cervical vertebrae.
- A sedentary lifestyle is an additional risk factor for uncodiscarthrosis: in fact, if you do not practice any physical activity, then your muscles are not maintained, including in the spine and neck, which weakens your vertebrae.
4. How to limit the progression of uncodiscarthrosis?
If the doctor diagnoses you with uncodiscarthrosis, then he has various tools, medicinal or not, to help you relieve the pain and limit its progression. The choice of treatment obviously depends on the intensity of your symptoms and the cause identified. Treatment for uncodiscarthrosis involves rest, wearing a cervical collar, taking painkillers, muscle relaxants (muscle relaxants) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories. Physiotherapy sessions are also prescribed. This involves strengthening the neck muscles and reducing the compression of the nerve roots, responsible for cervico-brachial neuralgia. Surgery is considered as a last resort, after failure of drug and physiotherapy treatments, if the pain is intense and motor deficits persist, specifies the MSD Manual.
Sources
- Neck Pain, The MSD Manual – Consumer Version, October 2022
- Cervical osteoarthritis, Rheumato-info, October 1, 2015
- Cervical uncodiscarthrosis lesions treated on four levels by anterior arthrodesis: clinical and functional results, thesis by Virginie Barre, Faculty of Medicine of Nancy and University of Lorraine, defended on October 18, 2018