After the New Year, there are often many patients who come to the clinic with neck and shoulder pain and numbness in their arms due to long hours of playing mahjong and looking at cell phones during the holidays, and the most common question they ask after taking a film in the clinic is “Is my cervical spondylosis compressing the nerve? Do I have to have surgery?” There are many types of cervical spondylosis, but the one that causes numbness and pain in the neck, shoulder and upper limbs is mostly neurogenic cervical spondylosis, so when a herniated disc compresses a nerve, does it need surgery? Let us first understand the history of neurogenic cervical spondylosis Neurogenic cervical spondylosis refers to the partial rupture of the cervical intervertebral disc fibrous ring on the basis of cervical disc degeneration, and the disc fibrous ring is suddenly subjected to a large tension force under a slight external force, resulting in a complete rupture of the fibrous ring, and the nucleus pulposus tissue protrudes into the spinal canal from the fibrous ring rupture, compressing the cervical medulla and cervical nerve roots and producing symptoms. As the disease continues to progress, reactive bone tissue repair occurs around the severely degenerated and herniated cervical disc, leading to subchondral bone sclerosis and bone redundancy formation. At the same time, the cervical disc leads to a decrease in disc height, cervical instability followed by ossification, and finally the formation of a bone flab that projects anteriorly to the vertebral body or into the spinal canal. At this time, not only the nerve roots are compressed, but also the “bone spur” may be convex to the spinal canal and compress the cervical medulla, and the huge bone flab in front of the vertebral body may even compress the esophagus and cause difficulty in swallowing. In other words, as neurogenic cervical spondylosis progresses, “bone spurs” often appear, signaling an increase in the severity of the disease. So what are the conditions that can be treated conservatively? Simply put, conservative treatment can be tried for patients in the early stages and for the first time. Traction can increase the intervertebral space and reduce the pressure on the intervertebral disc, thus reducing the compression. The amount of traction starts at 2-3kg, and gradually increases to 4-5kg, traction time 20-30 minutes, 2-3 times/day, 2 weeks as a course of treatment Cervical brace and collar are mainly to limit the excessive movement of cervical spine Massage, massage and physiotherapy can reduce muscle spasm and improve local blood circulation. Attention should be paid to gentle techniques and not too many times. Change bad habits appropriate exercise for the neck and upper limbs, change sitting posture regularly and avoid high pillows Non-surgical treatment may result in significant improvement of cervical spondylosis symptoms, especially for early cases. However, it should be noted that conservative treatment options need to be chosen according to the specific condition and should not be carried out blindly. It is important to note that if non-surgical treatment is ineffective, ? s nerve roots or spinal cord are clearly compressed by the bony bulge and the pain is severe or symptoms of muscle paralysis appear, then timely consultation should be sought to avoid missing the time for surgery.