Cervical Spondylosis Treatment in Kolkata

Overview

Cervical spondylosis means age-related wear in the discs and joints of the neck. It is very common after the age of 40, and it often shows up on X-rays or MRI scans of people who have little or no pain. When it does cause symptoms, the usual ones are neck pain and stiffness, pain that spreads to the shoulder blade or the back of the head, and sometimes pain or tingling down an arm. The changes in the spine cannot be reversed, but for most people pain and stiffness improve with exercise, hands-on treatment and changes to daily habits, without surgery. Every first visit starts with an assessment by Dr. Partha Sarathi Neogi at our Kalighat clinic, so you know what is causing your symptoms and what will help.

How Dr. Neogi assesses cervical spondylosis

1. Your history: when the pain and stiffness started, what makes them better or worse, your work, screen and sleep habits, and any arm symptoms, dizziness or headaches.
2. A review of your X-ray or MRI reports if you have them. A scan is not needed for most neck pain, and what it shows does not always match the pain.
3. Neck and shoulder movement, posture, and which parts of the neck are stiff or painful.
4. A check of the nerves to your arms and, where needed, your legs: strength, sensation, reflexes, grip and walking, to look for pressure on a nerve root or the spinal cord.
5. A plain-language explanation and a plan, including exercises to start at home.

What cervical spondylosis is, and how many sessions you may need

With age, the discs between the neck bones lose height and water, the small facet joints wear, and bony edges (osteophytes) can form. These changes are called cervical spondylosis. In everyday use many people call it cervical spondylitis, although there is usually no inflammation. The changes can make the neck stiff and painful, especially after long hours at a desk, on a phone or in one sleeping position. If a disc bulge or bony edge narrows the space for a nerve root, pain, tingling or weakness can spread into the arm (cervical radiculopathy). Rarely, the narrowing presses on the spinal cord itself (cervical myelopathy), which needs a doctor urgently.

Care focuses on neck and upper-back exercises for movement and strength, advice on posture and your work setup, and hands-on treatment such as joint mobilisation and soft-tissue work. A chiropractic adjustment is used only when it is suitable for you after the assessment and you agree to it. Cervical traction, therapeutic ultrasound or TENS/IFT may give short-term relief for some people, alongside exercise rather than instead of it. How many sessions you need depends on how long you have had symptoms and how you respond, and progress is reviewed at each visit. Neck pain from other causes, such as muscle strain or posture, is covered on our neck pain page.

Who we often see

• Neck pain and stiffness with cervical spondylosis on an X-ray or MRI report
• Neck pain that spreads to the shoulder blade or the back of the head
• Pain, tingling or numbness down one arm from a pinched nerve in the neck
• Neck stiffness after long hours at a desk, laptop or phone
• Neck pain that keeps coming back in people over 40
• Headaches that start from the neck

What you can do at home

• Keep your neck moving gently through the day and avoid long periods in one position.
• Take a short break from the screen or phone every 30 to 45 minutes, and keep screens at eye level.
• Use a pillow that keeps your neck level with your body, not propped up or dropped down.
• A warm pack for 10 to 15 minutes can ease stiffness.
• Do your exercises regularly; mild discomfort that settles within a day is acceptable.
• For pain medicine, follow your doctor's or pharmacist's advice.

Related conditions

• Neck pain
• Headache from the neck
• Posture correction
• Slip disc

Frequently Asked Questions