Cervical spondylosis: what is it?

Ritesh Bawri

14 Nov 2025 — 2 min read

If you are someone that has gone through life without thinking of your spine, you are among the fortunate ones. We assume that our spine will support us. Until it doesn't.

One outcome of your neck wearing out is cervical spondylosis.

Cervical spondylitis is essentially wear and tear of the bones and discs in your neck. As you age, the discs that sit between the vertebrae lose water and elasticity.

What was once soft and supple becomes stiff and compressed. Over time, tiny bony projections known as osteophytes may form.

All of this can irritate nerves, reduce mobility, and cause pain. You may blame age or even your genes.

But in reality, lifestyle plays a bigger role.

We spend hours hunched over screens. Your neck is designed to hold your head upright. At a neutral angle, the head weighs about 5 kg.

Tilt it forward just 30 degrees, and the effective load becomes nearly 18 kg.

Imagine carrying an 18-kg dumbbell around your neck every day. The strain accumulates.

The symptoms creep in gradually. Neck stiffness, pain radiating to your shoulder, tingling in your arms, even headaches.

Some people feel dizzy or experience reduced grip strength. It does not happen overnight. It is your body trying to tell you something.

The good news?

Like most chronic issues, this too can be managed. Even reversed if you improve your lifestyle.

Start with awareness. Correct your posture. Understand how you sit, stand or hunch. How many hours do you spend on your phone?

What is your posture right now as you read this?

Minor corrections have a compounding effect. Strengthening the muscles of your upper back, improving your flexibility, and taking frequent movement breaks all reduce the load on your cervical spine.

Walking, stretching, and practising simple neck-mobility exercises can transform how you feel.

That is the magic of the human body. It renews and heals all the time. Which is not to say you can reverse any condition. Just to say that your body will respond if you provide the right attention.

Begin today, your future self will thank you.

Reach out to me on twitter @rbawri Instagram @riteshbawriofficial and YouTube at www.youtube.com/breatheagain

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