Doc,
Thanks for reading my post and replying. The first neurologist I saw didn't do a medical exam, he brought me into his office pulled up my MRI film and asked me if I was having severe neck pain. When I answered no, his response was that I would have to convince him to do surgery (whatever that means) because he likes his patients to feel better after their surgeries and in my case, since I wasn't having neck pain to begin with, that I wouldn't notice a difference with surgery. The second surgeon, who I mentioned works with my best friend, did inquire about symptoms I was having such as weakness in my upper extremities and hands, numbness in my right hand and being off balance. True, he did not examine me but neither did the first surgeon. My concern is with the myelomalacia and the severe spinal cord compression at C5-6. I'm not eager to risk surgery, however I was told by the first neurosurgeon that a slip and fall or minor traffic accident could further damage the cord and cause paralysis. I am in the process of scheduling an appointment with a third neurosurgeon to get his input. Is physical therapy an option for spinal cord compression?
Thanks again for your reply