What Is Cervical Spondylosis?

Arthritis in the neck

Cervical spondylosis is a common age-related neck condition caused by wear-and-tear arthritis of the spinal joints in your neck. The discs may naturally dry out and shrink over time, which can lead to bone spurs and other osteoarthritis signs and symptoms.

"Cervical" refers to the seven small vertebrae in your neck. "Spondylosis" means degeneration of the discs between the vertebrae.

Typically, cervical spondylosis begins around age 40 and gets worse over time. Men tend to develop it earlier than women.

Cervical spondylosis is also called:

Symptoms of Cervical Spondylosis

A man massages the back of his neck

Shelby Ross / The Image Bank / Getty Images

The main symptoms of cervical spondylosis are neck pain and stiffness. In addition to neck and head symptoms, cervical spondylosis can lead to radiculopathy (a disease of the spinal nerve roots) or myelopathy (in which the spinal cord becomes compressed).

Neck and Head Symptoms

It's possible to have cervical spondylosis without any symptoms. When symptoms do occur, they generally include:

  • Intermittent neck pain (cervicalgia)
  • Neck stiffness
  • Dizziness
  • Muscle spasms
  • Weakness in the limbs
  • Trouble walking
  • Clicking, grinding, or popping sounds when moving the neck

Radiculopathy Symptoms

Radiculopathy is a disease process that affects the spinal nerve root, which is the part of the nerve that branches off from the main spinal cord. Symptoms affect the part of the body supplied by that nerve and may include:

  • Pain
  • Weakness
  • Numbness
  • Electrical-shock sensations down an arm

Most of the time, radiculopathy symptoms result from something putting pressure on the spinal nerve root.

Myelopathy Symptoms

Myelopathy is a condition involving compression of the spinal cord itself. While cervical spondylosis is very common, congenital cervical stenosis is the most common neck condition leading to myelopathy.

The spinal cord is a long bundle of nerves that runs down the length of the spine. It's housed in the spinal canal, which is a passageway located in the center of your spinal column. The spinal cord and the brain are the two components of the central nervous system.

While myelopathy tends to develop over time, it is frequently characterized by periods of rapid neurological deterioration, usually followed by a plateau. It is characterized by several symptoms:

  • Issues with balance
  • Issues with manual dexterity
  • Persistent numbness or tingling in one or both hands

Hand problems, such as difficulty writing, can be caused by cervical myelopathy.

Causes

Xray image of arthritic spine.
Arthritis is one cause of cervical radiculopathy.

CNRI / Science Photo Library / Getty Images

Arthritis in the neck starts with osteophytes (aka bone spurs) that form on vertebral bodies as they break down. Bone spurs are the body’s response to joint wear and tear.

As they grow, bone spurs can narrow the spaces that the nerves and spinal cord pass through.

Risk factors for neck arthritis include:

  • Age
  • Genetics
  • Smoking
  • Depression and anxiety
  • Occupations with repetitive physical work
  • Injury

Age

A major risk factor for cervical spondylosis is age. Once you reach 40, your likelihood of developing neck arthritis increases. By age 60, according to The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, more than 85% of people have cervical spondylosis.

Genetics

If you have relatives with cervical spondylosis, you have a higher risk of developing it yourself. Some researchers think this may be due to inherited factors such as a naturally narrow spinal canal or smaller-than-average passages between vertebrae.

Those narrow passages make it more likely that the spinal cord or nerves will come into contact with other structures, leading to myelopathy and radiculopathy.

Not all research agrees, though. A 2014 study found that the diameter of the spinal canal and vertebral bodies was not associated with an increased risk of cervical spondylosis.

Smoking

Studies show that smoking is a risk factor for neck pain. Researchers suspect smoking could speed up the process of cervical disc degeneration, especially in the lower discs.

This is just one of many reasons you should quit smoking.

Depression and Anxiety

Depression and anxiety are psychological risk factors for neck pain in general, and research shows depression may increase your risk of developing cervical spondylosis.

Additionally, these mental health conditions have been linked to worse outcomes after disc replacement surgery. On a more positive note, though, having less neck pain after the surgery can help alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Getting Treatment

You don't just have to live with depression and anxiety—effective treatments are available, and they could improve a lot more than just your neck pain.

Occupation

Your occupation can be a significant risk factor for cervical spondylosis if it involves repetitive neck motions, working above your head, heavy lifting, poor ergonomics, or exposure to vibration.

Those at high risk because of their jobs include:

  • Painters
  • Plumbers
  • Flooring installers
  • Construction workers
  • Truck or bus drivers
  • Anyone who stares at a computer screen that's at the wrong height

Injury

While most people with neck arthritis haven't had previous neck injuries, trauma to your neck—and especially repeated trauma—increases your risk for cervical spondylosis.

Diagnosis

Neck X-ray for diagnosing arthritis or other conditions.
Neck X-ray for diagnosing arthritis or other conditions. plepraisaeng

As with the diagnostic process for most neck and back conditions, your healthcare provider will likely gather information about your cervical spondylosis by taking a history and doing a physical exam. Then, expect one or more types of imaging, and possibly a nerve conduction study.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

When it comes to imaging tests for cervical spondylosis, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the gold standard.

An MRI may help your healthcare provider see your bones, soft tissues, and nerves, and it may help them to accurately see how much space is surrounding your spinal cord and/or nerve roots.

X-Rays

X-rays are also used for diagnosing cervical spondylosis, as they allow visualization of the bony passageways that contain the spinal cord and the spinal nerve roots. If you don’t have nerve symptoms, you may only need an X-ray. 

An X-ray can alert your healthcare provider to things like narrowing in your disc space, the presence of bone spurs, and any decrease in your spinal canal diameter that could lead to myelopathy.

It may also help your healthcare provider classify cervical spondylosis as mild, moderate, or severe.

Computed Tomography Scans

A computed tomography (CT) scan is another diagnostic imaging test commonly given to people with cervical spondylosis. A CT scan is like an X-ray, except that it takes multiple images and puts them together to display a cross-section of the area.

The image quality is better than that of an X-ray, so it may allow your healthcare provider to better study your spinal canal and, down the road, any changes in your bones that have occurred since your last CT scan.

Myelography

Myelography is a type of CT scan that involves injecting dye into your body to see certain structures better. Healthcare providers use it to visualize your spinal nerve roots and track down obstructions that could lead to radiculopathy symptoms. 

Nerve Conduction Study

Another test healthcare providers use to diagnose (or confirm a diagnosis of) radiculopathy is a nerve conduction study. It measures how well your nerves are functioning.

Nerve conduction studies sometimes are done in conjunction with an electromyography test, which measures nerve-to-muscle functioning during contraction and relaxation. During the study, electrodes will be placed on your skin that deliver electrical stimulation to your nerves. Some people find this to be uncomfortable.

Treatment

Colorful capsule medications
Pain relievers.

Peter Dazeley / Photographer's Choice / Getty Images

Your primary care healthcare provider may be able to provide treatment for your cervical spondylosis, but they may also refer you to a specialist for diagnosis or treatment. Neck arthritis specialists include:

Conservative management may help you control pain and slow the progression of the disease. For more severe cases, surgery may be an option.

Conservative Management

While you can't stop age-related joint degeneration from occurring, it is possible to slow down its rate of development. 

If your symptoms are mild or moderate and you don't have progressive nerve problems, conservative care may be all you need. This may involve some combination of:

Surgery

Surgery is not generally necessary for cervical spondylosis. Signs you may need surgery include:

  • Pain that is difficult or impossible to control
  • Radiculopathy symptoms that worsen over time

If you do happen to need surgery, there are several surgical options.

A Word From Verywell

While the wear and tear that lead to cervical spondylosis may be inevitable, pain and debilitating symptoms are not. Talk to your healthcare provider about any neck pain that's affecting your quality of life so you can start treatment early and take steps to keep the condition from getting worse.

If you believe you're at risk of developing neck arthritis, talk to your healthcare provider about how you may be able to prevent or delay it.

7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. McCartney S, Baskerville R, Blagg S, McCartney D. Cervical radiculopathy and cervical myelopathy: Diagnosis and management in primary care. Br J Gen Pract. 2018;68(666): 44–46. doi:10.3399/bjgp17X694361

  2. Patel AA, Spiker WR, Daubs M, Brodke DS, Cannon-Albright LA. Evidence of an inherited predisposition for cervical spondylotic myelopathySpine (Phila Pa 1976). 2012;37(1):26-29. doi:10.1097/BRS.0b013e3182102ede

  3. Singh S, Kumar D, Kumar S. Risk factors in cervical spondylosisJ Clin Orthop Trauma. 2014;5(4):221-226. doi:10.1016/j.jcot.2014.07.007

  4. Chen Z, Li X, Pan F, Wu D, Li H. A retrospective study: Does cigarette smoking induce cervical disc degeneration?Int J Surg. 2018;53:269-273. doi:10.1016/j.ijsu.2018.04.004

  5. Liu F, Fang T, Zhou F, et al. Association of depression/anxiety symptoms with neck pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis of literature in ChinaPain Res Manag. 2018;2018:3259431. Published 2018 Sep 25. doi:10.1155/2018/3259431

  6. Lin SY, Sung FC, Lin CL, Chou LW, Hsu CY, Kao CH. Association of depression and cervical spondylosis: A nationwide retrospective propensity score-matched cohort study. J Clin Med. 2018;7(11). doi:10.3390/jcm7110387

  7. Li S, Qi M, Yuan W, Chen H. The impact of the depression and anxiety on prognosis of cervical total disc replacementSpine (Phila Pa 1976). 2015;40(5):E266-E271. doi:10.1097/BRS.0000000000000743

Additional Reading

By Anne Asher, CPT
Anne Asher, ACE-certified personal trainer, health coach, and orthopedic exercise specialist, is a back and neck pain expert.