Hello, all. I am so glad to have found this thread. I was diagnosed with lumbar spinal stenosis after having severe sciatica over about 2 years. I aggravated it with an injury this summer and then the sciatica, numbness, and pain shooting out of my toe began. Had lumbar laminectomy in late summer, which relieved the sciatica and shooting pain immediately! Then, this fall, I "took up" violin again and overpracticed, causing a shooting pain in my neck and shoulder going down my arm! I reviewed the complete MRI they had done in the hospital, and sure enough, I can see stenosis in my cervical vertebrae where there is what looks like a bone spur pressing down on the nerve. I wonder why the neurosurgeon didn't pick up on that, except it was not bothering me at the time. Now it is acting just like the sciatica, only shooting burning pain from the base of my neck, through my shoulder blade and down my arm. I'm back on the pain meds and can't use my left arm for computer work without going into complete spasm.

I am tempted to go back to the neurosurgeon and ask him to fix the other end of my spine now.

My regimen right now is first, an NSAID and an ice pack over the shooting pain in my shoulder. Then, a muscle relaxant. Then, when all else fails, a hydrocodone. I really hate the pill routine, so I think I'll go back to the surgeon.

Has anyone else had lumbar stenosis and cervical stenosis both, and have surgeries helped you?

Ex fiddle player in Texas