Not all cervical spondylosis is a need for surgery. Eighty per cent of cases of cervical radiculopathy do not require surgery. If there are clear signs of nerve damage, such as numbness, weakness and unbearable pain, and conservative treatment has not worked for 3-6 months and is seriously affecting one’s normal work and life, then surgery can be considered.
If the diagnosis is spinal cord cervical spondylosis, surgery should be performed sooner to prevent spinal cord compression for too long, resulting in spinal cord damage that is difficult to recover from. If the diagnosis is mixed cervical spondylosis, conservative treatment or early surgery is also possible, depending on the severity of the spinal cord injury, with early surgery recommended if the spinal cord is the main symptom, or conservative treatment if the nerve root is the main symptom, and then surgery if it is not effective. There is actually a very simple judgement as to whether or not to undergo surgery, and that is whether you can still get on with your work and life. If your normal work and life is seriously affected by cervical spondylosis and you can’t get on with it, then you should undergo surgery.