Hi brwnneyedgrl,

Thanks for elucidating; some of that wasn't clear.

AFAIK, physical therapy is almost always first line treatment for spinal issues.

It's not uncommon for surgeons to disagree on course of action (see following quote); there are many variables involved, including (but not not limited to) differences in doctor experience/knowledge, difference in interpretation, expertise in/with different procedures/therapies, etc. As is often noted here on NT, that's why they're called medical "opinions"; sometimes there's an easy consensus (a burst appendix has to come out) and sometimes 2 or more opinions are advisable to help a patient make an informed choice.

(emphasis mine)

You might post something to the Spinal Disorders & Back Pain forum for other opinions. I would either link to your previous threads, or consolidate them, including all information from both.

Doc