My symptoms where always back burning pain along with left sciatic nerve pain when sitting. My lower extremity issues are aching limbs with burning sensation at bottom of feet bilaterally,
I have had L1/l2, L3/L4 and L4/l5 laminectomies because of spinal stenosis.
Doctors thought my walking issues where caused by the lower levels. Non of the surgeries resolved what appeared to be neurogenic claudication due to stenosis.
Last surgery was l4/l5 in 2021 and things have gotten worse. I do notice bladder issues when my pain levels spike especially when I have a bad night sleeping.
The cervical issues uncovered make sense to me at this point.
I really never had much upper extremity issues but did notice in last year or so Burning in my neck which I can correlate to getting worse in lower extremity problems.
After my l3/l4 surgery in 2016 didn't do much the neurosurgeon sent me for a thoracic MRI. The radiologist made note of seeing issue at the C6/C7 and recommended Cervical MRI. He never ordered it. If he had done so the c5/c6 would have been shown that shows the worse level of cervical compression.
Another opinion in December got me the cervical MRI.
I lost 9 years in finding out cervical cord issues may have been main problem all along.
Hopefully the ACDF improves my symptoms but regardless it is so bad that it needs to be done.