Recovery wasnt so bad --my prob were more a year after fusion --start getting bicep pain first --then pain really bad in right shoulder --so i went into a panic thought something wrong again ---then finally got another mri --which shows fused but c5 level forminal canal nerve is opened but small so there nerve gets pinched the fix was revision surgery but ---but 2 surgeons didint feel it warrants the risk since there was no risk of being parlyzed. That when i became very in tune to posture and sleeping habbits etc....basically have to be very cautious not to create flare ups.