A device for elastically stabilizing vertebral bodies includes at least two bone anchoring means, each having a central axis and a head segment. The device also includes elastic means that can be joined to the head segments of two adjacent bone anchoring means in such a manner that the longitudinal axis of the elastic means extends transversely to the central axes of the bone anchoring means. Under compressive loads, the elastic means has a progressive spring characteristic. The elastic means is manufactured from a metallic material and has a plurality of spring coils, of which at least two spring coils have a geometric dimension which is different from the other spring coils.