Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsRole in NeckSymptomsCausesTreatmentReliefLong-Term Effects
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Role in Neck
Symptoms
Causes
Treatment
Relief
Long-Term Effects
Uncovertebral joint hypertrophyis a condition in which the uncovertebral joints (sometimes referred to as Luschka joints) in the neck become enlarged. Hypertrophy (enlargement) of these joints often degenerates (breaks down) over time from wear and tear orbone spurs(bony growths) in the joints. This condition commonly occurs with age and can lead to other problems, including pinched nerves.
This article discusses uncovertebral joint hypertrophy, including symptoms, causes, and treatment options.
Thai Liang Lim / Getty Images
Role of Uncovertebral Joints in Neck
The neck contains seven stacked bones calledvertebrae, named C1 through C7. Uncovertebral joints are found on each side of the vertebrae, from C3 through C7.
The primary function of the uncovertebral joints is to move the cervical spine forward and backward and limit excess lateral flexion, which is sideways bending of the neck. These joints also provide stability during other neck movements.
Symptoms: How Uncovertebral Joint Hypertrophy Pain Feels
The primary symptom of uncovertebral joint hypertrophy is neck pain, which often increases with movement.
Other symptoms can include:
As uncovertebral joint hypertrophy progresses, it can lead to compression of nerves that exit each side of the spinal cord between each vertebra, a condition called cervicalradiculopathy.
Symptoms of nerve compression from uncovertebral hypertrophy can include:
However, healthcare providers must do imaging to confirm that uncovertebral joint hypertrophy is present.
Diagnosis and Radiology Findings
Healthcare providers typically turn toX-rayimaging to help diagnose the causes of neck pain. However, this type of test is not always enough to show bone spurs and degeneration present with uncovertebral joint hypertrophy.
Acomputed tomography(CT) scan provides a three-dimensional (3D) image of the uncovertebral joints, which provides more detail about their breakdown.
Sometimes, healthcare providers order additional imaging, such asmagnetic resonance imaging(MRI), to determine whether your condition affects other structures. MRIs can help providers assess damage to the spinal cord, spinal nerves, or intervertebral discs.
What Causes Hypertrophy in Uncovertebral Joints
Uncovertebral joint hypertrophy is usually a wear-and-tear condition, meaning it develops from use over time.Osteoarthritiscauses bone spurs to develop, leading to hypertrophy in the uncovertebral joints.
Healthcare providers can observe joint changes in CT scans of people in their 20s, which progressively worsen with age. Uncovertebral joint hypertrophy usually affects the joints between C4-C5 and C5-C6.
Other risk factors can contribute to uncovertebral joint hypertrophy, such as:
Overview of Neck Osteoarthritis
Treatment Options
Healthcare providers can treat mild uncovertebral joint symptoms conservatively. However, severe cases might require surgery.
Conservative Management for Mild Flares
Mild symptoms of uncovertebral joint hypertrophy can be treated with medications, home remedies, and physical therapy, as follows:
Range-of-Motion Neck ExerciseTalk to a healthcare provider about implementing gentle, range-of-motion exercises to ease neck pain. Here’s an example:Sit up straight. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and downward.Tip your right ear toward your right shoulder, then return to the center.Tip your left ear toward your right shoulder, then return to the center.Turn your neck and look over your right shoulder.Turn your neck and look over your left shoulder.Return to center.
Range-of-Motion Neck Exercise
Talk to a healthcare provider about implementing gentle, range-of-motion exercises to ease neck pain. Here’s an example:Sit up straight. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and downward.Tip your right ear toward your right shoulder, then return to the center.Tip your left ear toward your right shoulder, then return to the center.Turn your neck and look over your right shoulder.Turn your neck and look over your left shoulder.Return to center.
Talk to a healthcare provider about implementing gentle, range-of-motion exercises to ease neck pain. Here’s an example:
Severe Pain and Complications
If conservative treatment doesn’t help treat your uncovertebral joint hypertrophy symptoms, your healthcare provider may consider injections or surgery.
Healthcare providers inject steroid medications into the affected joint to help decrease pain and inflammation. You may require repeat injections after a certain amount of time (typically several months) as symptoms often return.
If your condition has caused complications such as nerve compression, you may need surgery to find relief.Surgery can include decompression through the removal of the uncovertebral joint or other procedures such as a cervical fusion.
Many people benefit from physical therapy after surgery. It can help you regain your range of motion and strength and improve your functioning with daily tasks. If you have a desk job, you might be able to return to work within a few weeks of surgery. However, you’ll have restrictions on your activities for four to six weeks.
Spinal Injection vs. Surgery: Uses, Benefits, Side Effects & More
How to Ease Uncovertebral Joint Hypertrophy Pain
While you can’t prevent uncovertebral joint hypertrophy, there are things you can do to help reduce your risk of developing more severe symptoms—particularly if you have neck pain or have been diagnosed with neck arthritis. These include:
Long-Term Effects and Risks
Left untreated, uncovertebral joint hypertrophy pain can significantly interfere with daily functioning and negatively impact your quality of life. Additionally, for those who experience nerve compression, it can lead to permanent numbness and weakness in the arm muscles.
Summary
Uncovertebral joint hypertrophy is a condition that affects the lower part of the spine in the neck, causing pain, stiffness, and grinding with neck movements. As the condition progresses, it can lead to pinched nerves, numbness, tingling, and weakness in the arms.
Uncovertebral joint hypertrophy usually develops over time from wear and tear. Symptoms often improve with conservative treatment, including medications, stretches, and physical therapy. In more severe cases, you may need steroid injections or even surgery for relief.
11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Valero-Moreno F, Clifton W, Damon A, Pichelmann M.Total anterior uncinatectomy during anterior discectomy and fusion for recurrent cervical radiculopathy: a two-dimensional operative video and technical report.Cureus. 2020;12(3):e7466. doi:10.7759/cureus.7466Huang T, Qin J, Zhong W, Tang K, Quan Z.The CT assessment of uncovertebral joints degeneration in a healthy population.Eur J Med Res. 2021;26(1):145. doi:10.1186/s40001-021-00619-2Johns Hopkins Medicine.Spinal arthritis (arthritis in the back or neck).Childress MA, Becker BA.Nonoperative management of cervical radiculopathy.Am Fam Physician. 2016;1;93(9):746-54.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Cervical spondylosis (arthritis of the neck). April 2021.Harvard Health Publishing.Neck pain: symptoms, causes, & how to relieve it. June 15, 2023.Kaiser Permanente.Range of motion exercises for acute neck pain.Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).In brief: physical therapy. 2022.Amercian Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Cervical radiculopathy: surgical treatment options.Guduru RKR, Domeika A, Obcarskas L, Ylaite B.The ergonomic association between shoulder, neck/head disorders and sedentary activity: a systematic review.J Healthc Eng. 2022;2022:5178333. doi:10.1155/2022/5178333American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Cervical radiculopathy (pinched nerve). August 2020.
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Valero-Moreno F, Clifton W, Damon A, Pichelmann M.Total anterior uncinatectomy during anterior discectomy and fusion for recurrent cervical radiculopathy: a two-dimensional operative video and technical report.Cureus. 2020;12(3):e7466. doi:10.7759/cureus.7466Huang T, Qin J, Zhong W, Tang K, Quan Z.The CT assessment of uncovertebral joints degeneration in a healthy population.Eur J Med Res. 2021;26(1):145. doi:10.1186/s40001-021-00619-2Johns Hopkins Medicine.Spinal arthritis (arthritis in the back or neck).Childress MA, Becker BA.Nonoperative management of cervical radiculopathy.Am Fam Physician. 2016;1;93(9):746-54.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Cervical spondylosis (arthritis of the neck). April 2021.Harvard Health Publishing.Neck pain: symptoms, causes, & how to relieve it. June 15, 2023.Kaiser Permanente.Range of motion exercises for acute neck pain.Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).In brief: physical therapy. 2022.Amercian Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Cervical radiculopathy: surgical treatment options.Guduru RKR, Domeika A, Obcarskas L, Ylaite B.The ergonomic association between shoulder, neck/head disorders and sedentary activity: a systematic review.J Healthc Eng. 2022;2022:5178333. doi:10.1155/2022/5178333American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Cervical radiculopathy (pinched nerve). August 2020.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Valero-Moreno F, Clifton W, Damon A, Pichelmann M.Total anterior uncinatectomy during anterior discectomy and fusion for recurrent cervical radiculopathy: a two-dimensional operative video and technical report.Cureus. 2020;12(3):e7466. doi:10.7759/cureus.7466Huang T, Qin J, Zhong W, Tang K, Quan Z.The CT assessment of uncovertebral joints degeneration in a healthy population.Eur J Med Res. 2021;26(1):145. doi:10.1186/s40001-021-00619-2Johns Hopkins Medicine.Spinal arthritis (arthritis in the back or neck).Childress MA, Becker BA.Nonoperative management of cervical radiculopathy.Am Fam Physician. 2016;1;93(9):746-54.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Cervical spondylosis (arthritis of the neck). April 2021.Harvard Health Publishing.Neck pain: symptoms, causes, & how to relieve it. June 15, 2023.Kaiser Permanente.Range of motion exercises for acute neck pain.Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).In brief: physical therapy. 2022.Amercian Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Cervical radiculopathy: surgical treatment options.Guduru RKR, Domeika A, Obcarskas L, Ylaite B.The ergonomic association between shoulder, neck/head disorders and sedentary activity: a systematic review.J Healthc Eng. 2022;2022:5178333. doi:10.1155/2022/5178333American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Cervical radiculopathy (pinched nerve). August 2020.
Valero-Moreno F, Clifton W, Damon A, Pichelmann M.Total anterior uncinatectomy during anterior discectomy and fusion for recurrent cervical radiculopathy: a two-dimensional operative video and technical report.Cureus. 2020;12(3):e7466. doi:10.7759/cureus.7466
Huang T, Qin J, Zhong W, Tang K, Quan Z.The CT assessment of uncovertebral joints degeneration in a healthy population.Eur J Med Res. 2021;26(1):145. doi:10.1186/s40001-021-00619-2
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Spinal arthritis (arthritis in the back or neck).
Childress MA, Becker BA.Nonoperative management of cervical radiculopathy.Am Fam Physician. 2016;1;93(9):746-54.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Cervical spondylosis (arthritis of the neck). April 2021.
Harvard Health Publishing.Neck pain: symptoms, causes, & how to relieve it. June 15, 2023.
Kaiser Permanente.Range of motion exercises for acute neck pain.
Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).In brief: physical therapy. 2022.
Amercian Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Cervical radiculopathy: surgical treatment options.
Guduru RKR, Domeika A, Obcarskas L, Ylaite B.The ergonomic association between shoulder, neck/head disorders and sedentary activity: a systematic review.J Healthc Eng. 2022;2022:5178333. doi:10.1155/2022/5178333
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Cervical radiculopathy (pinched nerve). August 2020.
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