Cervical pain treatment options ranked by evidence: from physical therapy and targeted injections to biologic disc repair and fusion. A definition-format guide covering causes, symptoms, and treatment decisions for chronic neck pain.

The cervical spine — C1 through C7 — supports your head, enables neck motion, and protects the nerve roots controlling your arms. This patient guide explains the anatomy, the conditions that affect it, and the non-surgical treatment options available.

Cervical myelopathy is spinal cord compression in the neck that disrupts signals between the brain and body, producing hand clumsiness, gait instability, and balance problems. Mild cases are managed non-surgically with close monitoring. Moderate to severe cases require prompt surgical evaluation.

Cervical facet syndrome is neck pain originating from the small paired facet joints of the cervical spine, most often driven by osteoarthritis or post-whiplash capsule injury. Diagnosis requires targeted medial branch nerve blocks—not imaging alone—and most patients do well with non-surgical treatment including physical therapy and radiofrequency ablation.