Kinematics Team FAQ: Degenerative Disc Disease (Cervical Spondylosis)
October 5thThere are few phrases on a scan that can make you stop in your tracks quite like “degenerative disc disease”.You might read it and immediately wonder, What has actually happened to my neck? Is it wearing out? Is this going to keep getting worse?
Usually, the picture is much less dramatic than the wording makes it sound. Cervical spondylosis broadly refers to changes that happen in the neck over time, and they are extremely common. Some people have quite noticeable changes on a scan and barely notice their neck at all.
So the useful part is working out what those changes mean for you. Focus more on how your neck is moving, what you are feeling, and what might be keeping your symptoms around.
Degenerative Disc Disease Definition. Also known as ‘cervical spondylosis,’ this term refers broadly to the degeneration of the vertebral column from any cause. The discs between the bones of your neck have a fairly important job. They help cushion the vertebrae and allow the neck to move smoothly while taking some of the load between those bones.
As the years go by, those discs gradually change. They lose some of their water content and height, becoming a little flatter and less flexible.
The surrounding joints and edges of the vertebrae can change too. Small areas of extra bone may develop, which you might hear described as osteophytes or bone spurs on an imaging report.
Put all of those age-related changes together and you get the term cervical spondylosis.
The word “degeneration” can make this sound like something has gone badly wrong. It hasn’t necessarily. These changes are a normal part of ageing and can also be present in people who have never experienced neck pain.
Where will I feel pain with a degenerative disc disease?
This varies from person to person, but neck pain is commonly felt towards the back of the neck, sometimes more noticeably on one side. It can sit around the base of the skull as well.
You might notice a nagging ache that hangs around in the background. Or perhaps there is one particular movement that produces a sharper catch or pinch.
It is also not unusual to wake up feeling particularly stiff. Your neck has spent several hours in roughly the same position, and it can take a little movement before things loosen up again. Sitting at a desk for hours without changing position can create a similar feeling.
Then there are the symptoms that travel. If one of the nerves leaving your neck becomes irritated or compressed, you may feel pain, pins and needles or numbness further down through the shoulder, along the arm, and sometimes into the hand.
That pattern is known as radicular pain. In simple terms, the irritation is in the neck, but the symptoms can be felt along the nerve’s pathway elsewhere.
What movements will I struggle to perform if I have degeneration in my cervical discs?
Sometimes it is not the pain itself that first makes you notice something has changed. It is an ordinary movement that suddenly feels awkward.
Checking your blind spot is a good example. You turn to look behind you and realise your neck does not want to go quite as far as it used to.
Looking up can be another difficult movement. Reaching for something on a high shelf or tipping your head back while washing your hair may bring on discomfort. Side bending, bringing your ear towards your shoulder can feel restricted or tight too.
The longer you stay in one position, the more noticeable the stiffness can become. Reading in bed, working at a computer, or scrolling on your phone for a long stretch can all leave your neck feeling like it needs to move again.
Looking upwards is often particularly provocative because it reduces the space around some of the joints and nerves at the back of the neck.
Will I feel pain in any other regions of my body?
It can happen, and it is one of the reasons neck problems can be a little confusing. The nerves that leave your neck continue into the shoulder and arm. If one of those nerves is irritated, the symptoms do not necessarily stay neatly where the problem started.
Headaches can also occur. They may begin around the base of the skull before travelling upwards towards the temple or, sometimes, behind the eye.
You may also find the muscles across the tops of your shoulders or around your shoulder blades becoming tight and sore. When the neck is not moving as freely, these muscles can end up taking on more work than usual.
How does a degenerative disc disease happen?
Getting older is the biggest factor. There is no escaping that one. But plenty of other things can influence how much change develops over time. Previous whiplash, years of physically demanding work, smoking, genetics, and the positions you spend your days in can all play a role.
Think about how much time you spend with your head forwards. Laptop work. Driving. Looking down at your phone. None of these things are automatically “bad”, but spending years in the same position can increase the load through the lower part of your neck.
Degeneration does not always equal pain.
Some people have quite significant changes visible on imaging and have no symptoms at all. So if your report mentions degeneration, it does not necessarily explain why your neck has decided to be painful this week.
Pain is usually influenced by a mix of things. The changes in the tissues, how stiff the area is, how much load it is handling, your strength and conditioning, and what else is happening in your day-to-day life.
What things should I try initially once I’ve been diagnosed with degenerative disc disease?
The first thing we would generally encourage is movement. That does not mean pushing through a painful flare or trying to stretch your neck aggressively. It means avoiding the temptation to completely shut out all movement.
Gentle movements through a comfortable range can help stop the neck becoming even more restricted. If you work at a desk, regular breaks are extremely useful. Get up. Change position. Move around. Heat can be helpful when the surrounding muscles feel tense and guarded.
It is also worth paying attention to the less obvious things. Your pillow, for example, should not leave your neck sitting awkwardly for hours overnight. The same principle applies to your desk set-up. If your laptop is permanently down at chest height, your neck is going to spend a lot of time looking down.
Over-the-counter pain relief, when taken as directed, may also make it easier to keep moving during a flare rather than withdrawing from activity completely.
What things should I try to avoid in the initial stages of degenerative disc disease?
When your neck is irritated, the goal is more about knowing which things are winding it up and giving those movements a bit of space while things settle.
A soft collar worn for several days can actually make the neck feel more restricted, so it is not something to lean on unless a healthcare professional has advised you to use one for a short period.
It is also worth being cautious with positions that take your neck right to the limit. Holding your head fully turned to one side or tipped backwards for any length of time can be uncomfortable when things are already sensitive.
The same goes for forceful neck cracking or sudden, jerky movements. During a flare-up, they are unlikely to help. Heavy lifting overhead is another one to park temporarily. Once your symptoms have settled and your neck is moving more comfortably, you can gradually build back towards those activities.
What type of exercises or movements do I need to control to rehab the cervical disc?
There are three areas we generally want to work on. The first is movement. You want your neck to be comfortable moving through as much of its available range as possible, without forcing it or turning every exercise into a battle.
The next focus is the endurance through the deep neck flexor muscles. These smaller muscles at the front of the neck help support your head. If they are not pulling their weight, the larger muscles around the back of your neck can end up doing far more than they were designed to, which can lead to further pain.
Your shoulder blades deserve attention too. Strength and control around the shoulder blades provide support for the upper body and influence how the neck has to work.
What other considerations contribute to degeneration of a cervical disc?
Your neck is part of a much bigger system. Sleep, stress, general fitness and how much you move across the day can all influence how well you cope with symptoms.
Someone who spends most of the day sitting and rarely moves outside of work may find their neck harder to manage than someone who regularly changes position and stays active even when their scans look very similar.
What treatments can help relieve some pain or fast track my cervical disc rehabilitation?
Rather than simply looking at what the scan says, your practitioner can look at what your neck is actually doing. How freely does it move? Which movements reproduce your symptoms? How are the joints and surrounding muscles behaving? Are there any signs that a nerve is involved, such as tingling, numbness or weakness into the arm?
From there, treatment can be tailored to what you need. That might include hands-on treatment for stiff joints or muscles that are working overtime, combined with exercises that build movement, strength and tolerance gradually.
The everyday stuff matters too. Your desk set-up, driving position and the way you manage activity during a flare can all form part of the plan.
If nerve symptoms are persistent or significant, your practitioner may also recommend further imaging or a specialist review alongside physiotherapy.
What are the expected timeframes of rehabilitating cervical disc?
There is no universal countdown. If you are dealing with a recent, relatively mild flare-up, you may notice things settling over a few weeks as you keep moving and make some sensible changes to your daily routine.
Longer-standing symptoms can take more patience. If a nerve is involved, rehabilitation may take several months of consistent, progressive work before you notice a substantial difference.
The important distinction is that the structural changes themselves are not something we are trying to reverse.
What we can work on is how your neck moves, how much load it can comfortably handle, your strength, and how confidently you can get on with everyday life.
If your neck pain has been hanging around, disturbing your sleep, or beginning to travel into your shoulder or arm, it is worth getting it properly assessed rather than simply hoping it disappears.
This article is for general education only and is not a substitute for personalised medical advice.