C.S

hello i am sorry to hear that you are suffering at such a young age. i have had this for the past 17yrs, and i have tried almost everything but the one thing i can say is that to get through this debillitating illness you NEED the support of your family. have you been to see a specialist about your cs? if you get the right consultant they have resources that your gp doesnt and can refer you to the physio, i believe that a chiropractor has benefits. talk to your parents they will make things so much better , and pardon the pun but it will lift the weight of your shoulders. good luck and i wish you well.

Hello, I am sorry you have this condition at a young age. My story is long but I will quickly explain my symptoms started at age 26 and I am now 29, so am young like you and can understand how you are feeling.

I have Cervical Spondylosis with associated foramen narrowing (where nerves exit the spinal cord and so could be pinched) with a bit of spinal canal stenosis (spinal canal is narrowed, so may affect spinal cord in future).

There could be many reasons why young people like us end up like this – I feel it’s more likely a genetic weakness that is then set off by something, for example an injury.

It took a couple of years for me to eventually get an MRI scan to diagnose all the above and being my typical self, I did a lot of research in addition to fighting the NHS to see different specialists.

I am going now to give you practical advice on how to help yourself. I can wake up sometimes stiff and sore in the morning, but let’s face it, even the average person does so do not let this make you depressed.

You really must buy a memory foam pillow – when I purchased one a while ago, I woke up a lot less stiff than I did with normal pillows. They are well worth the money – mine was only £30 from Argos, but you can get them cheaper or more expensive if you have the money.

Very important is how you are sitting at your desk in university/college – bad posture is very damaging for our condition so you MUST ensure you are sitting correctly and hold a good posture also when you are walking/standing. You should also not sit at your desk for too long, stand up and stretch – explain to your teacher if possible you need to do this, even if you have to leave the classroom for a minute to do it.

Supplement your diet with glucasomine – studies are positive for this but like anything it is not for sure it works; it may help your knees more than your neck but it’s still worth trying as this supplement does not harm your body. You can buy it from Holland & Barrett.

You must ensure you are stretching and moving your neck EVERY DAY – I strongly advise you to see a physiotherapist so they can tell you how to do it. I can not stress enough, if you keep this up every day it will help you in the long term with pain and stiffness. But get expert advice first. I saw various physiotherapists for advice but did know a lot of it already, as I used to train in the gym with weights a lot.

I have just gone back to the gym and started light weights – I really didn’t think it would happen because in the past when I tried to go back, I would get pains despite training light. However, I have learnt that I get pains anyway, even if I do nothing to provoke it, so I have worked through the pain carefully and am actually getting pain free! So the last 3 years I could have tried light weights but was too scared.

However for the average person who is not vain about their body like I was (and still am!), then just going to the gym to do light cardio exercise (for example on a stationary bike) with lots of stretching after is a huge benefit. Please do not be scared of exercise even if you are painful but PLEASE get physiotherapist guidance first.

I find that deep heat cream helps with certain aches and pains but not always – it’s cheap and helps at times, so is worth a go. Now medications – I only take medications if I really, really need it and try to come off them as soon as possible. As young people, if we keep taking them our bodies will keep getting tolerant to them and we have many years ahead of aging.

I am not sure if you like bars and clubs, but try not to drink too heavily and do not smoke – keep your diet nice and healthy too, this makes a difference.

Although you and me are unlucky to have this so young, we also have an advantage – we can make changes to our lifestyle and try to manage our condition. I know a lot of what I have advised above has helped me but of course I still sometimes get pain, soreness and s

It's highly variable from person to person. My father started getting CS symptoms in his early 20's, he's now 74 and still manages it, though he told me he's in constant pain. He never made too much fuss of it so I didn't knew how it feels to have this condition until it recently hit me, I'm 36.