@marilynnovak Hi Marilyn. Thank you. My spine surgeon told me the best way to prevent a need for further spine surgery is to maintain core strength. Riding my horse helps me do that because I need to compensate for his movements with my back, so I get a good workout just at a walk which is what I do. I also work with a physical therapist and she works on my neck and torso. I have thoracic outlet syndrome which is a tightness in the chest and shoulder/neck that pinches nerves that go to my arms, so I'm always working on something and I do home stretching too. Physical therapy can help maintain strength and with anything spine related, good posture is essential.