I. What is cervical spondylosis? Cervical spondylosis refers to the degeneration of the cervical disc and the secondary changes caused by it, resulting in the irritation or compression of the adjacent spinal cord, nerves, blood vessels, esophagus and other tissues, and the corresponding clinical manifestations. Second, what are the symptoms of cervical spondylosis? Due to the complex structure around the cervical spine and the different tissues in the affected spinal canal and its adjacent parts, cervical spondylosis can be manifested as a variety of symptoms, and according to the characteristics of the patient’s symptoms, cervical spondylosis can be divided into cervical type, nerve root type, spinal cord type, vertebral artery type, esophageal compression type and mixed type. 1.Cervical cervical spondylosis is characterized by pain and discomfort in the neck. The neck pain often increases suddenly in the morning after waking up, overwork, improper posture and cold stimulation. 2.Neurogenic cervical spondylosis manifests as neck pain and upper limb pain, and there may be sensory impairment and muscle weakness in the affected innervation area, and muscle atrophy of the hands may be manifested. 3.Spinal cord type cervical spondylosis manifests as numbness and weakness of the limbs, clumsy hand movement, feeling of stepping on cotton in both feet, gait concealment and easy to fall. It mostly starts from weakness of lower limbs and then develops to upper limbs; however, it also occurs first in one upper or lower limb, bilateral upper limbs or bilateral lower limbs. Patients often have a girdling sensation in the chest and abdomen. There may be frequent urination or difficulty in urination and defecation. 4.Vertebral artery type cervical spondylosis Common symptoms are migraine, vertigo, nausea, vomiting, tinnitus, blurred vision, and memory loss. Less common symptoms are hoarseness, difficulty in swallowing and sudden collapse. 5.Esophageal compression type cervical spondylosis In the early stage, it is mainly a difficult feeling when swallowing hard food and abnormal feeling behind the sternum after eating (burning, tingling, etc.), gradually affecting soft food and liquid diet, and in severe cases, only water and soup can be eaten. 6.Mixed cervical spondylosis When the patient shows more than the above two symptoms, it can be diagnosed as mixed cervical spondylosis. Third, what tests do I need to do if I have cervical spondylosis? The diagnosis of cervical spondylosis can usually be made through the patient’s symptoms and the corresponding physical examination. However, some related examinations should be performed, the most important of which is the general cervical spine X-ray examination. Depending on the patient’s symptoms and signs, some special examinations such as cervical spine power X-ray, double oblique film and cervical spine CT, MRI, electromyography, somatosensory evoked potential, etc. may also be required. IV. What are the imaging manifestations of cervical spondylosis? X-ray films can show changes in the curvature of the cervical spine, reduction, disappearance or retroflexion of the physiological pronation, narrowing of the intervertebral space, formation of bone redundancy at the posterior edge of the vertebral body and narrowing of the intervertebral foramen. CT can show cervical disc protrusion, small sagittal diameter of cervical spinal canal, hypertrophy of ligamentum flavum, loss of epidural fat, and spinal cord compression. V. Can cervical spondylosis be prevented? Prevention of cervical spondylosis is mainly to slow down the process of cervical disc degeneration, first of all, we should correct the bad posture in life, avoid high pillow, sedentary low head and inappropriate twisting of the head and neck to reduce chronic strain on the soft tissues of the neck; at the same time, strengthen the muscle exercise of the neck to enhance the stability of the cervical spine, prevent wind and cold, humidity, avoid bathing at midnight, early morning or being attacked by wind and cold. Also preventing trauma in life can prevent the onset of cervical spondylosis. Sixth, how to treat cervical spondylosis? The treatment of cervical spondylosis is divided into non-surgical treatment and surgical treatment. Non-surgical treatment. Non-surgical treatment is the basic treatment for cervical spondylosis and a necessary stage before surgical treatment, which is beneficial to the surgery itself and is the main measure for post-operative rehabilitation. The vast majority of patients with cervical spondylosis can have their clinical symptoms reduced, improved, or even cured with appropriate non-surgical treatment, especially in early cases. Specific methods include symptom-relieving medications, cervical traction, physical therapy, local closure, correction of poor work and sleep posture, and medical sports (e.g., shoulder shrugging, arm raising exercises for the deltoid, and upper extremity exercises). Surgical treatment. Indicated when conservative treatment is ineffective for six months or affects normal work and life; or severe nerve root pain; or muscle atrophy and weakness of the upper limbs, which still develop after 4-6 weeks of conservative treatment. Spinal cord type cervical spondylosis should be treated surgically in a timely manner after diagnosis, and the surgical efficacy is poor in those with severe spinal cord lesions and long duration of disease. According to the anatomical characteristics of the patient, anterior and/or posterior surgery is chosen to release the compression of the spinal cord, nerve roots and vertebral artery. The surgical treatment of cervical spondylosis has been carried out in our hospital since the 1980s, and the second department of orthopedics features spinal surgery and geriatric orthopedic diseases, and more than 100 cases of various cervical spine surgeries have been carried out over the past year, with good clinical results.