Introduction

Cervical osteoarthritis is a progressive degenerative joint disease characterized by cartilage breakdown, subchondral bone remodeling, and structural changes within the spinal joints. While historically considered an age-related condition affecting older adults, premature cervical osteoarthritis is increasingly recognized in young adults due to sustained postural stressors associated with prolonged digital device usage.

At each spinal level, the motion segment is formed by a tripod formed by two facet joints and an intervertebral disc. The stability of the motion segment and other components is impacted when one component undergoes a biomechanical change. The bilateral facet joints facilitate coupled intervertebral motions during axial rotation and bending, and they support more than 64% of the axial load of the cervical spine [1]. Facet articular apposition has been found to be influenced by axial neck stresses, which are modified by head posture and muscle activation [2]. Neck flexion compresses the cervical spine 1.6 times more than a neutral posture [3]. The degeneration of joint cartilage is the cause of facet joint osteoarthritis.

This case involves a college student diagnosed with text neck accompanied by cervical osteoarthritis. Radiographs showed reverse lordosis, facet joint hypertrophy, and narrowing of the intervertebral spaces. The patient reported pain relief and regained normal neck mobility after undergoing a multimodal chiropractic program aimed at improving cervical spine function. Spinal posture has a significant biomechanical impact on the distribution of stress in the facet joints. Joint degeneration can be mitigated by alleviating strain through ergonomic changes and properly addressing joint misalignments. To our knowledge, this case is among the few to provide objective radiographic evidence of increased intervertebral space and curvature restoration in a young adult with text neck-induced cervical osteoarthritis following non-surgical, multimodal conservative management. Highlighting these observable structural improvements underscores the potential for early conservative intervention to modify degenerative trajectories in tech-reliant populations.