@nadiachar
I had ACDF surgery on my c5-c6 due to cervical myelopathy. I was 52 at the time. I was misdiagnosed for over 5 years and now have some permanent spinal cord injury. My cord showed flattening/effacement and I had bone spurs/osteophytes and disc bulge causing stenosis. My symptoms were daily headaches, neck/shoulder pain and knots, tinnitus in ears, arm/hand weakness/numbness (regularly dropped things/handwriting worsened), bladder control issues, heaviness in legs/slowness in walking when I used to walk very fast (even when my brain wanted my body to move faster, it wouldn’t), etc. Cervical myelopathy is slow spinal cord injury over time. It is really only stopped from progressing through surgery. They used my own bone from my bone spurs to use in the fusion “cement” at c5-c6. After surgery, most of my symptoms improved except for residual arm/hand weakness.

Now, I have a new broad disc herniation at c6-c7 which is pressing on my spinal cord and nerve roots causing new myelopathy and bilateral radiculopathy symptoms. I recently had right hand carpal tunnel surgery and also have ACDF surgery planned for c6-c7 surgery in 2 weeks (3rd week in May). My myelopathy symptoms have returned and this time are major balance issues, arm/hand weakness, some neck pain, bladder control issues/frequency and slower walking. I am 55 and a single parent of a teen and want to stop the spinal cord injury from progressing further. After surgery, I will then have c5-c7 fused and will have some limited range of motion turning my head/neck but it is worth it not having many symptoms below the level of my spinal cord compression which could become permanent.

Have you been to a neurologist for EMG/nerve conduction studies of upper and lower limbs? Did your orthopedic spine specialist check your reflexes and watch you walk/your gait for signs of myelopathy?