Can spinal cervical spondylosis be treated without surgery?

  Non-surgical treatment can provide some relief of symptoms or even delay the progression of the disease in patients with spinal cervical spondylosis (the latter has not been proven). First, and most importantly, patients should avoid activities that aggravate symptoms as much as possible, meaning no sports that require neck movement and no activities that could lead to neck injury. When symptoms occur, patients should rest whenever possible. Although there is insufficient evidence to support that a collar can alter the prognosis of spinal cervical spondylosis, long-term rigid collars for neck braking are usually recommended. Systemic or epidural application of steroids has been recommended for the treatment of cervical spondylosis, but it has not been clinically proven to improve the prognosis of spinal cervical spondylosis. Experimental treatments include axonal growth inhibitory factor antibodies, gangliosides, 4-aminopyridine, and stem cell therapy. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, tricyclic antidepressants, muscle relaxants, and opioids may be used to relieve patients’ pain.