Hello,

I'm trying to decide on whether I should get ACDF surgery. The MRI showed two herniated disks and a bone spur C4-5 and C5-6. It started with slight pain in my left Trap and then moved to numbness down into my thumb and Index.

A couple of months ago I was having pain and numbness around a 7 -9 on pain scale. Started with Orthopedic and then onto Neurosurgeon. Neither suggested doing any conservative treatments, just go right to surgery. I never have had any weakness or dexterity problems since it started, just pain and numbness.

But now after buying some time around 2 months, my pain and numbness is down anywhere from a 1 - 3.5 on pain scale depending on what I'm doing. When doing stretching, resistance bands and limited dumbbell exercises that's usually when the pain creeps up. I'm able to control it with just Advil and Tylenol.

The one thing is before when I had pain it would last all day, now after exercising the pain will subside back down in about 15 minutes of rest.

My main problem with having the surgery is Adjacent Level Disease. I don't think it's a question of If, but when since the disks above and below are in fair to poor condition. I don't want to end up on a continuous schedule of fusions till I run out of segments.

Any help, comments, real stories would be greatly appreciated. I'm about one month from scheduled surgery just in case.

You might get a second opinion since your pain is so much lower now.
Or maybe wait on surgery until it is really needed..if you can manage OK right now why go thru with any surgery?
Adding to your stated concern of other level issues, there is also some risk of internal scar tissue overgrowth, that can be a problem for some people.

Do you have a copy of your written MRI report?
The wording - mild, moderate, severe etc and other notes can clarify a few things.

We have a spinal & back pain forum here..
https://www.neurotalk.org/spinal-dis...and-back-pain/

Searching our site using keywords can be helpful also..

You haven't had any expert PT, chiropractic or therapeutic massage for this? I would explore that route before anything surgically invasive..

I've had anterior bone spurs at same levels C4-5-6 per 2003 MRI, no need for surgery..

This Neurosurgeon is my second opinion. The first one wasn't Informative at all. That's when I really started reading about the problem and learned that at least 3 - 6 months of conservative treatments should be tried first.

I had to ask for PT. I did three sessions and was able to try a cervical traction device. I thought it helped so I purchased one to keep trying to see if it would continue helping. I can't say if it is or isn't at his point, but will continue using since it's not hurting.

I'm going back to my Chiropractor tomorrow as I was a little nervous to have my neck worked on when it was hurting.

I don't have a copy of my MRI and I can't remember how he described the problem, mild , moderate or severe. When you see it on the MRI and he starts pointing out the issues, it got me very nervous and a little scared, but as I'm thinking about it I would say probably severe. He was more concerned about the bone spur.

The one thing that I kept reading and seeing in videos of people that have the same issue is they all said they had pain and numbness all day. Some said it felt like somebody was hanging on there shoulders and the pain was unbearable.

I have change some of my activities due to the pain that it would cause, but I can live with those changes as long as it doesn't get worst.

Welcome, dajazzman!

I can only agree with JoMar's posts. Surgery should be a last resort. It is invasive, and there can be complications resulting from it.

If you have responsibilities where you can't work at your own pace and take rest breaks as needed, you might want to consider surgery but even then, if it were me, I'd consider changing jobs before having surgery. I realize that that isn't possible in many situations though.

Welcome dajazzman.

Thanks everyone. I'm off on short term disability from work. I have 6 months which I don't know what I would do without it. My worst pain before I left was getting out of my work truck from the drivers side, computer work, and just standing without moving.

All of those actions have gotten better, but not fully.

2 years ago I had decompression surgery on left shoulder and two months after that is when I started having pain in my upper trap. My Orthopedic doctor said at that time it was just the trap muscle trying to do work of the shoulder muscle.

I thought about the pain last year at this time and it was just some soreness in my trap, but no numbness in the arm.

I'm thinking about going back to work and trying for three months and if it gets too bad just have the surgery in December.

I was just wondering how much pain everyone experience before they decided on surgery. I'm really concerned about Adjacent Segment happening and after having one fusion start a snowball effect.

I've had some back pain for years, but doing Yoga and chiropractor has kept it 90 - 95% pain free. I still have pain, but I'm so use to it that I don't even notice it most of the time. I may end up the same way with my neck pain.

I never tried Epidurals or pain management, do you think that might be a better option for now?