@artsy6013 I think your doctor is being cautious because your spine condition could have changed since your imaging was done. For example, if you have one vertebrae slipping past another one which they call spondylolisthesis, that could be a situation where a physical therapy exercise maneuver may not be safe for you to do. One good example would be if a person had this instability at the skull/spine junction. My physical therapist told me that working on the neck with this type of instability could be paralyzing or even fatal. She requires that kind of information and diagnosis before beginning therapy work with a spine patient. With spine issues, imaging within a year is considered current. This is a safeguard for you as well as good practice for your physician. It may also be needed to justify insurance payments for your physical therapy.

Have you been able to manage your spine symptoms with exercise? I am a spine surgery patient, and my surgeon told me the best way for me not to need his services again is to maintain core strength. It also helps because it takes less effort to stack the vertebrae with good posture than with poor posture.