Degenerative changes in the cervical intervertebral discs resulting in damage to the important surrounding tissues (spinal cord, nerve roots, sympathetic nerves and vertebral arteries) and the corresponding clinical symptoms are called cervical spondylosis. Those who only have degeneration of the cervical spine without clinical manifestations are called cervical degenerative changes. Cervical spine osteophytes are a manifestation of degenerative changes in the cervical spine, which are manifested on X-ray as an increase in the density of local bone and the appearance of new bone at the edge of the bone (i.e., osteophytes, commonly known as bone spurs), and are often accompanied by instability of the cervical spine. If there is an increase in density or the appearance of bone redundancy at the edge of the vertebrae on the X-ray of the cervical spine, it indicates that there are different degrees of osteophytes in the cervical spine, which means that there are degenerative changes in the cervical spine. Degenerative changes in the cervical spine are a manifestation of the human life cycle, an aspect of human maturity towards decline, and a physiological degenerative change in the cervical spine in order to adapt to long-term movement and load. This degeneration is produced gradually as a person develops, grows, matures, and ages at the same time, and osteophytes seem to be a common manifestation in the elderly. The degenerative changes in the cervical spine in this case are a normal physiological process of the human body and are not pathological. Cervical spine osteophytes cannot be diagnosed as cervical spondylosis if they do not cause irritation or compression of the nerve roots, spinal cord, sympathetic nerves or vertebral artery and do not produce any corresponding symptoms. However, once cervical spine osteophytes narrow the spinal canal, intervertebral foramen, transverse foramen, etc., or cause instability due to degenerative changes in the cervical spine, so that the nerve roots, spinal cord, sympathetic nerve or vertebral artery are compressed or stimulated, and corresponding symptoms appear, then it is not a simple cervical spine osteophyte, but cervical spondylosis. Therefore, although the pathological changes of cervical spondylosis include osteophytes, the presence of osteophytes is not necessarily always cervical spondylosis. The severity of cervical spondylosis is not directly related to the presence or absence and size of osteophytes, but is closely related to the location of the hyperplasia and the degree of involvement of surrounding tissues such as the spinal cord, nerves and vertebral arteries. Therefore, the diagnosis of cervical spondylosis is made through a comprehensive analysis of the medical history, symptoms, signs, X-ray films and other examinations, rather than a diagnosis that can be made by X-ray film examination alone.