you are not going to like what i say, and i am not a doc so it's just my opionon but i think the doc is right. it sounds like you may have some bone spurs and maybe some degeneratine disc desease. but with no significant spinal cord compromise no doc worth a salt of grain would operate on you, which is a good thing. maybe some pt will help has you may have some soft tissue damage and muscle strain.keep an eye on your symptoms and if you get any numbness or very bad headaches down the road then i would sugest another mri, but in the mean time try a soft collar, as it may help with the pain. hope i was alittle bit of help, oh but don't wear the collar all day maybe just a couple of hours. good luck and let us know how things work out for you d