Oh yes, I sure do remember the pain. I jumped right into the surgery to be rid of it. I DID get pain medication from a pain specialist before my surgery. I chose to take them for awhile and try. I gave up after I was unable to move my neck much at all. Just do all the research you can do, and ask all the questions you can. I advise strongly against any chiropractic intervention unless you get a DX and go ahead from a neruo surgeon. I know how hard this is for you. I turned out ok however, after the round two. In some cases, surgery can be the right answer. Herniated disks seldom cooperate, and you don't want them to get worse and impinge on the core of your spinal column. Do you have any shocksrunning up and down your arms? or hands? Any lack of being able to hold on to something, or dropping things? trouble driving, or turning your hear around? Those are some of the things the neurologist will ask you about. Bring someone with you if at all possible when you go to the doctor. That way if you miss something, you will have back up. I also wrote out all my questions to my second neruo, so I would not forget anything. I wish you the best possible outcome. ginnie