Severe Stenosis + synovial cyst

@ccchang Dr. Kate Foxx, neurosurgeon associated with UHS Neurosurgery Group, Johnson City, N.Y. 13760. 607-729-4942. Dr. Matthew Bennett associated with UHS Pain Management, Johnson City, N.Y. 13760, 607-748-7468. All part of the UHS Medical Center, Johnson City, N.Y. 13760.
I desired to keep my entire treatment team local because the tremendous advantages of logistics, convenience, continuity and the more custom over sight during possible difficulties or emergencies. If I could not be assured of the expertise locally I certainly would have gone else where, but the quality of the local professionalism was assuring and worked out for me.

Hello everyone I have been recently diagnosed with multiple level radiculopathy with active denervation which means the nerve is currently injured/or irritated. I have had numbness in my both feet and I was told that it was probably diabetic neuropathy. I requested a community care consult to University of Cincinnati hospital to see a neurologist. The doctor ordered numerous blood tests along with a neck & lumbar MRI's & an EMG test. The EMG test ruled out neuropathy & the MRI's confirmed multilevel radiculopathy. The 1st MRI - MRI L-SPINE WO CONTRAST states IMPRESSION: 1. Multilevel lumbar spondylosis, outlined above with no significant thecal sac narrowing. 2. Facet osteophytes and foraminal disc protrusions at L4 and L5 may contact the exiting nerve roots as described. The 2nd MRI-MRI C-SPINE WO CONTRAST - states Multilevel cervical degenerative disc disease with multilevel neural foraminal stenosis most significant at C6 and C7, other level details are discussed above. 2. No cord compression or cord signal abnormality at any level. I am currently going to physical therapy with minimal beneficial results. I would appreciate any insights, non-surgical procedures or suggestion concerning this diagnosis. Thanks

All the Best Mr. Sanders

@rockon79 Thank you. Yes it's great that you have a local team. I'm in Hawaii so "local" for me will be the West coast and even with that I'll have to travel, unforunately. I pray your surgery goes well!

@patriciaschulz1950 my husband is in the same boat. He's 70 and doesn't think he would make it through the first, let alone three surgeries he needs. His stenosis and pain is getting so bad though, he is now contemplating the surgery. The pain meds just aren't working for him anymore and no doctor or pharmacy will prescribe higher doses. I hope you get the help you are looking for.

@vicinsoflo Understand.. I started years ago trying to find anyone to help me determine my neuropathy, type etc, and no one in SW Florida could help or have interest. My age (76) has caught up with neuropathy issues I have been trying to solve. Aging is fact of life, and many of my issues now (spine /back issues) are contributing but are NOT the cause of my chronic neuropathy. Or at least no medical person can convince me of that or even questions it. Has your husband tried a steroid injection into spine?

We're in SE Florida. He has tried many injections with no relief. Since the injections didn't work, his pain doctor said that nerve ablations probable won't work. His neurosurgeon says he's not a good candidate for pain pump or electric stimulator because his nerve compressions are multilevel, the stenosis is so severe, and spine is unstable (he also has scoliosis). His condition is beyond minimally invasive procedures. He says surgery is the only option for a CHANCE of pain reduction. He really doesn't want to do the surgeries, but his only other option is to continue living on his recliner or bed, with increasing pain and eventually become incontinent or paralyzed.

@vicinsoflo I write to you with great compassion since I suffered similarly from severe lumbar stenosis and am now 5 months out from the last of two major lumbar surgeries. I had similar reticence but the facts led me to have lumbar surgery since that is the ONLY procedure (in my opinion) that can remove the chronic and increasing aggravation to the spinal nerve which is the main cause of the pain and discomfort. Until those resolutions are employed there really is NO HOPE (at the present, anyways) of improvement-and-as your surgeon said that unless that increasing spinal stenosis is eased it can deteriorate into even more serious problems. Even though I am now 80 years old I believe I made the correct choice, as a matter of fact -it became the ONLY choice- giving me HOPE and at least a chance for less pain and problems in the future!