Have you spoken with more than one doctor about your diagnosis or is it only one doctor who's advising for surgery? If we're only dealing with one doctor here, then I'd make sure I went ahead and got the second opinion before proceeding any further. Your insurance will not only love you for it, but will probably require it.

As far as the RSD equation, don't think the worst. Read more about how many people (the percentages) actually proceed further along with RSD, and you'll see that most only have it in phase I for a couple years and then it burns out. You are not dealing with a disease that always gets worse in fact the odds are the opposite so why buy some problems you don't have?

I too have a severe bulging disk that just happens to be at L5 and instead of operating on it, I have been going to a chiropractor who's done amazing things. Is there still pain back there, of course, but it's eased considerably and since I'm against surgery except when there's no other option, I'd make sure you've exhausted every other avenue first including of course extensive therapy.

Do you trust your doctor 100%? The answer must be yes because if it isn't, than you'll be never confident of either yourself or whatever course of treatment or surgery your doctor is advising to proceed with. Since it had to have been a specialist who's advising you need back surgery, I'd go back and talk with your primary physician about your concerns and see what she/he has to say first. And make sure you bring up all of your concerns including the fact that you believe the RSD is getting worse but that the orthopedic doctor doesn't. It's all about communications and the steps you take today that will determine how you're going to be living the rest of your life.

If the RSD is progressing, I can't urge highly enough for you to have the correct course of treatment now while you're still in the earlier stages of RSD so it won't progress any further. I've seen time and time again where a patient lost the window of opportunity during the early days that caused more problems down the road.

I know you'll do the right thing, but please try and not let the pain your suffering with control your good common sense to do the right thing now even though the process might take a bit longer or not give you the immediate pain relief you're needing so terribly bad right this very moment. Best of luck, Bob.