@vivianne777 Decompression just means taking the pressure off anywhere in the spine. In my case, that was removing the collapsed C5/C6 disc with the bone spurs alongside it that were pressing into my spinal cord. When the spinal cord is compressed, it does cause the electric shocks when the pressure changes with movement.

This fusion (ACDF) surgery was not as bad as I expected it to be. It is still major surgery, but my level of pain after surgery was not bad, and immediately on waking up from surgery, all that pain in the body and legs was gone. The pain I had then was only from the surgical incision and path. It is best to do the surgery before permanent nerve damage happens. It took me 2 years to find a surgeon willing to help me, and everything still turned out OK. With the waiting for consultation appointments, and possible testing, and then if a surgeon agrees, you wait to get on their schedule. That could play out over several months. You may want to find a surgeon for another opinion now to request an appointment. If you work things out with the current surgeon, you can always cancel a second opinion appointment. Generally, it is advised to get several opinions and surgeons understand this, so it is expected. You decide which surgeon is best for your needs. If this doesn't work out with the current surgeon, you'll be ahead of the game. If you can come to Mayo, things there are done very efficiently. I had my appointment with 3 days of testing within the same week, was offered surgery at the first spine consult, and was scheduled 5 weeks later for surgery. I was offered a first appointment 6 weeks after sending my request because of a cancellation. I was told that the wait would normally be around 3 months to be seen the first time. Mayo needs to answer that, as I don't know how long a wait is now if you apply.

This surgery gave me my life back, and my head turning ability is pretty much the same as it was before. C5/C6 doesn't really do much there. Head turning is mostly with C1 & C2, with a bit of help from C3 and C4. I am glad I did this. I would be disabled if I avoided this surgery, and eventually that would mean a wheelchair, severe pain, unable to use my arms and legs and incontinence. Not a good future, and I feel fortunate to be able to choose to avoid being disabled.

If you do want to request an appointment at Mayo, check the billing and insurance page to see if your insurance is accepted there. https://www.mayoclinic.org/patient-visitor-guide/billing-insurance

If that's good, you may request an appointment with this link and someone from Mayo will contact you. They have very many patients seeking neurologists, so apply to the spine center. The spine surgeons work with a neurologist that they prefer and you'll be sent to them for evaluation as part of the consult. http://mayocl.in/1mtmR63