Thank you very much for the link explaining spinal fusion - long article but very informative. I do not know what MILD entails, but although I do have some walking problems, it is more related to overall muscle weakness than other problems. My right leg does bend readily, so walking down sloping sidewalks, etc. cause it to stiffen up and not bend.
At my age of 78, I expect to have knee aches most of the time. I can get hyaluronic acid injections for my knees that work well. Since I have that 23-degree scoliosis, I am thinking more and more that a fusion fix is in the cards for me. But I have quite a few vertebrae that are messed up, although the several bulging discs are not terribly extreme. I get frustrated that the pain management medical people didn't review in detail the two MRIs of my spine and immediately recognize my condition was eventually going to lead to chronic lower back pain and that a consistent series of epidurals was not the answer. I've never had an epidural that gave relief of my back pain for more than 2 to 3 weeks, often less. Thanks again for your response.