Degerative joint disease is progressive no matter watch anybody says. It would normally start from either a trauma (childhood) or due to disc damage. Either one gives you a weakness/ instability in the neck. This column instability is compensated for by the body - essentially it puts up a boney scaffold around the unstable region of the neck. This scaffold or osteophytic formation is what generally presses on nerves as just like scaffold on a house takes up more room (the nerves room). So what can you do? Well making the neck better at stabilising it's self is a good idea but is very hard tokeeps hole keeping the neck stable and not causing further problems (i know of a new clinic offering a specialist rehab programme) A home traction device used every day (afternoon or everning) 10 mins max helps a lot of people. Does that help