Cervical spondylosis

For a lay person:

Cervical spondylosis is age-related wear of the discs and joints in the neck. It commonly causes neck pain and stiffness and, if it presses on nerves, pain, numbness or weakness down the arm.

For a trained medical person:

Degenerative change of the cervical discs, facet joints and uncovertebral joints, which may cause axial neck pain, radiculopathy or myelopathy. Assessment is clinical, with MRI for neurological signs. Most cases are managed conservatively; surgery is for progressive myelopathy or refractory radiculopathy.

In Chinese medicine:

Flaws and Sionneau's textbook differentiates this condition into these patterns: Wind cold bi and obstruction; Phlegm and dampness obstructing the network vessels; Qi and Blood Stagnation; Qi and blood deficiency plus blood stasis; Liver and Kidney Yin Deficiency. Treatment follows the pattern a patient presents with, not the Western diagnosis alone.

When to get help: Get urgent care for weakness in the arms or legs, clumsy hands, or problems with balance or bladder control.