I had the MILD procedure. I had no improvement. I believe this is a very lucrative procedure for doctors and hospitals but the results do not match the hype. There are always some people who respond to every intervention and some improve with no intervention. For the rest of us I think it comes to developing a variety of coping strategies. I have not had surgery because it is not a magic fix for many of us and it comes with major risks and too often totally fails. A physiatrist said "the problem with spine surgery is once you have surgery you've had it" and for too many people it results in new issues or recurring issues and more surgery. I cannot believe how little evidence based high quality research is available to help us make decisions . Relying on intuition or a "feeling" about a surgeon is risky. For now i have an arsenal of things that help a little and I try very hard not to be defined by my pain.