In the clinic, patients who feel uncomfortable in the neck often ask this question: Do I have “cervical spondylosis”? In fact, most patients with neck discomfort, such as pain, swelling and discomfort when moving the neck, do not have “cervical spondylosis”. It is only a strain of the neck muscles or other diseases. In medicine, there is a strict definition of cervical spondylosis. The definition is: cervical spondylosis is a condition in which the symptoms and signs are caused by cervical disc degeneration, cervical instability and its secondary changes that irritate or compress the adjacent spinal cord, or nerves, or vascular tissue. From the connotation of the concept of cervical spondylosis, it can be seen that this disease must have the following elements: 1. This disease is first of all a disorder based on degeneration, and degeneration of the cervical intervertebral disc is the basis of this disease. There must be aging (degeneration) of the cervical intervertebral discs. The so-called cervical intervertebral disc is the cartilage-like tissue between each cervical vertebra (the cartilage plate above and below, the surrounding fibrous ring and the central nucleus pulposus). The intervertebral disc does not show up in X-rays; the vacant part between the two cervical bones (cervical vertebrae) is this intervertebral disc. The intervertebral disc can be shown on MRI. 2, in addition, the cervical spine is unstable and loose is also a major cause. 3, and to appear secondary changes. Such as herniated nucleus pulposus of the cervical disc, prolapse and subperiosteal hematoma of the ligament, bone spur formation, osteoarthrosis and secondary spinal stenosis. There is also cervical instability, such as intervertebral loosening and disappearance of physiological arc. 4, if the patient has all three of the above, but it cannot simply be equated with cervical spondylosis. The fourth and most critical item: whether there are clinical symptoms and signs, that is, whether there are various cervical spondylosis corresponding manifestations, whether the symptoms and signs are caused by stimulation or compression of the adjacent spinal cord, or nerve, or vascular tissue. (For the symptoms and signs of cervical spondylosis, see “manifestations of cervical spondylosis”) In outpatient clinics, we often find that some people have serious cervical degeneration, bone spurs or obvious cervical disc herniation, and even compression of the spinal cord and nerves, but there are no corresponding symptoms, so these patients cannot be diagnosed as cervical spondylosis. Not all neck diseases can be called “cervical spondylosis”.