Hi Rrae ~ It doesn't sound like muscles spasms to me . Muscles spasms are a more fluctuating thing -- not the constant horrible deep ache that you describe. And I would NOT want to have decompression if I were you, or you'd end up with more problems than you already have. Surgery just begets more surgery. Just like with fusion -- the levels above/below will fail - and you'll end up needing more surgery. This happened to me -- I had 2 open surgeries for herniated discs - and darn it if the levels below the surgical site didn't fail. Now I have more herniated discs. No one will touch me now tho, since I have a bad case of osteoporosis.

The American Medical Society said that most surgeries in the U.S. last year had the same long lasting effect as those people who went to physical therapy!!! So there have been many needless surgeries !!! The only reason for surgery should be if your spinal cord is being compressed.

If I had it to do over again, I would NEVER let them touch me -- but my surgeries were done before the internet came into being. so it wasn't easy to do any real research.

I wish you the best of luck! God bless & take care. Hugs, Lee