Wear in the neck is common

Cervical spondylosis means the discs and small joints in the neck have worn with age. X-rays of middle-aged adults often show it. Many of those people have only stiffness, and they do not need an operation.

It starts to matter when a bone spur or a disc bulge presses a nerve going into the arm, or presses the spinal cord itself. Those are two different problems, and the treatment is not the same.

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Nerve pain versus cord pressure

Nerve-root pain is felt in the shoulder, arm, or hand, often with tingling in a few fingers. The arm may feel weak when you lift it. A lot of this improves with medicine, a short period in a collar, and physiotherapy.

Cord pressure, called cervical myelopathy, is quieter and more serious. People notice clumsy hands, dropping a cup, numbness in both hands, stiff legs, or imbalance on a rough path. There may be little neck pain. An MRI is the scan that shows how narrow the canal has become. If walking and hand function are already changing, waiting for it to 'settle' is not a safe plan. See a spine surgeon promptly.

If an operation is mentioned

The surgeon may talk about freeing the cord from the front of the neck (often with a fusion at that level) or from the back (a laminectomy or laminoplasty). Implants are used when a segment needs to be held still while bone heals. Dr. Deepak Kumar's training in spinal implants was in Germany. The approach depends on how many levels are tight, the curve of your neck, and whether the spine is stable.

Ask what the operation is aiming to protect. Often the goal is to stop the hands and legs from getting worse. It is not a promise that every numb finger will feel normal again.

A practical next step

If you only have a stiff neck and no arm or leg symptoms, start with your physician and a physiotherapist. If you have arm weakness, dropping objects, or unsteady walking, book a neurosurgical opinion and carry the MRI. Clinics are at Brain & Spine Care, Sector 15, and Aarvy Healthcare, Sector 90, in Gurgaon.