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What helps spinal stenosis besides surgery?
Spine Health | Last Active: Sep 12 12:03am | Replies (167)Comment receiving replies
@jojo58 If your question was for me, my stenosis was at C5/C6 in the central canal caused by a ruptured disc with bone spurs that were pushing 5 mm into the canal. Not all surgeons will operate on higher levels right under the skull. That takes a lot of skill, and they want to be sure not to damage nerves that exit the spinal cord to control breathing which is up around C3.
What are your specific levels that surgeons want to address? What type of intervention are they suggesting?
Jennifer
Replies to "@jojo58 If your question was for me, my stenosis was at C5/C6 in the central canal..."
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I believe mine is at the same level as yours. There are minor issues above but they’re going to leave that alone. The stenosis is really bad at C5 and C6 and the disc is bulging inward. I’ve seen several surgeons, one wanted to lay the whole back of my neck open. Well that was a NO. There is a new procedure that would give me more mobility turning my head. The surgeon I’m going to see on the 20th does it. Whether I’m a candidate or not I won’t know till I see him. I have no reflexes on my left side, so it’s getting worse. I would not have known anything was wrong with my neck if that guy hadn’t hit me with his pickup. I was wondering about your recovery time. How long, pain, etc. I work self checkout at a grocery store less than a mile from my house. I can’t afford to be out for months. I took a cut in pay to work there and STD is 60%. I’m barely making it now with what I get paid. Just wondering about your experience and what they did and how you are now. Any information would be appreciated. Thank you for responding