Q:  What might be done to alleviate neck pain (recently diagnosed with cervical disc degenration)?

A:  I see disc degeneration and arthritis as possible symptoms of excessive compression or uneven tension.  So the first thing I investigate is where some slack can be found.  Conceptually, the spine is simply a stack of blocks with cushions between them.  Guy wires - the erector spinae - anchor in at the sacrum and run up on either side of the spine to tie in at the occiput, the base of the skull.  Slack may be found anywhere along that stretch.