Treatment

Treatment for cervical spondylosis depends on the severity of your signs and symptoms. The goal of treatment is to relieve pain, help you maintain your usual activities as much as possible, and prevent permanent injury to the spinal cord and nerves.

Medications

If over-the-counter pain relievers aren't enough, your doctor might prescribe:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. While some types of NSAIDs are available over the counter, you may need prescription-strength versions to relieve the pain and inflammation associated with cervical spondylosis.
• Corticosteroids. A short course of oral prednisone might help ease pain. If your pain is severe, steroid injections may be helpful.
• Muscle relaxants. Certain drugs, such as cyclobenzaprine, can help relieve muscle spasms in the neck.
• Anti-seizure medications. Some epilepsy medications, such as gabapentin (Neurontin, Horizant) and pregabalin (Lyrica), can dull the pain of damaged nerves.
• Antidepressants. Certain antidepressant medications have been found to help ease neck pain from cervical spondylosis.

Therapy

A physical therapist can teach you exercises to help stretch and strengthen the muscles in your neck and shoulders. Some people with cervical spondylosis benefit from the use of traction, which can help provide more space within the spine if nerve roots are being pinched.

Surgery

If conservative treatment fails or if your neurological signs and symptoms — such as weakness in your arms or legs — worsen, you might need surgery to create more room for your spinal cord and nerve roots.

The surgery might involve:

• Removing a herniated disk or bone spurs
• Removing part of a vertebra
• Fusing a segment of the neck using bone graft and hardware