Cervical Spondylosis

Cervical spondylosis is a common degenerative condition of the cervical spine that is caused by age-related changes in the intervertebral disks (cushions between the vertebrae) and facet joints (the small joints in the back of the neck). Clinically, several syndromes, both overlapping and distinct, are seen: neck and shoulder pain, suboccipital pain and headache, radicular symptoms, and cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). As disk degeneration occurs, mechanical stresses result in osteophytic bars (bone spurs), which form along the ventral aspect (front) of the spinal canal (tube containing the spinal cord).