@shelli1 Some spine patients do have issues with breathing because of cervical spine issues. I agree with you about steroid injections. It won't solve anything. Surgeons like to do them because if you get some relief because it lowers the inflammation in your spine, that can confirm what spine surgery might be able to fix. That is often temporary and the pain returns when the steroid wears off, and there are some big risks to spine injections if done improperly. You don't have to agree to do them. It is your choice.

I had one neck epidural injection as a diagnostic and I said never again. It caused me to have a new sharp random electric pains that focused on my thumb and index finger in my dominant hand and it went on for about 6 weeks before that pain subsided. I was shaking uncontrollably immediately after the injection and for awhile, and the staff ended up staying an extra hour because my pain was uncontrolled, and nothing made it better. The advice they gave me was just stay in bed with my arm on a pillow and don't move because movement increased the frequency of the shooting burning pain. I suspect I could have had a reaction to a component in the injection. The steroid particles will also interfere with getting a good image if you need another MRI, and it would take about 6 weeks to be absorbed.

You may also want to research some other spine surgeons for second opinions, etc because this is a big decision. You need the best one you can find who's area of interest matches what you need. It is kind of shocking when you realize you need spine surgery and you know because you've been there. Cervical spine surgery usually isn't as difficult as lumbar surgery, and I didn't think it was a bad recovery at all. It takes a while, but breaking my ankle was a lot worse for pain, loss of function and going through recovery than cervical spine surgery.