• A stiff, painful neck

• Shoulder, arm or chest pain

• Tingling and pinprick sensations in the arms, hands, legs or feet

• Numbness and weakness in the arms, hands, legs or feet

• Lack of coordination

• Difficulty walking

• Abnormal reflexes

• Loss of bladder or bowel control, or urinary or bowel retention

Do’s and Do nots for Cervical spondylosis 

• Take a long, hot shower every day

• Take over-the-counter pain relievers

• Wear a cervical collar during the day

• Regularly walk or engage in low-impact aerobic activity

• You have neck pain that doesn't respond to over-the-counter pain medications.

• The pain worsens.

• You develop numbness in your arms or legs.

• Wearing a neck brace (cervical collar).

• Taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) for pain relief.

• Doing exercises prescribed by a physical therapist to strengthen neck muscles and stretch the neck and shoulders.

• Hospitalization with bed rest and traction on the neck for a week or two.

• Taking muscle relaxants, such as methocarbamol or cyclobenzaprine, particularly if neck muscle spasms occur.

• Injecting corticosteroid medications into the joints between the vertebrae (facet joints)