Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy..why the fuss?

The brief podcast below discusses the 2025 study published in the Journal of Primary Health Care, which examines the awareness and diagnostic confidence of primary care clinicians in New Zealand regarding degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM).

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1071/HC24180

Authors: Rohil V. Chauhan, Joanne Kennedy, Steven White

Disclaimer: The below podcast was generated using NotebookLM, has been professionally proofed, and reflects the author’s insights.

Where can I learn more about DCM assessment?

1. Visit the "Resources" tab for clinical screening resources.

2. Refer to our recent paper in JMMT where we present a comprehensive overview of DCM with a 4-page infographic at the end show how to perform clinical tests: https://doi.org/10.1080/10669817.2025.2465728

Where to next with DCM research?

DCM is a significant international research focus in the spine field, and we are involved in multiple global research collaborations to enhance the recognition, diagnosis, and management of DCM both globally and locally. A crucial upcoming step is the development of standardised frameworks for first-contact clinicians to screen for DCM.

As always, much more research is required, so stay tuned for future research developments.