What helps spinal stenosis besides surgery?

I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to say "Thank you" for your reply. Right after I sent my original question, my husband fell off the bottom step and pulled his quad muscle in his leg and had to have surgery. I cancelled all my appointments in re to my spine issues until recently. I just had an appointment to review the results of the remaining tests. Now, I'm at the point of decision making and I'm more confused than ever! (I have severe cord compression of C5-6, moderate cord compression of C4-5 , disk bulging of C6-7, Disc collapse of C5-6 and C6-7, cervical spondylosis with myelopathy, and spinal stenosis of cervical region. Also, I have head tremors only when laying flat. (The tremors stop the very second when I sit up). With all of these issues, I still have absolutely no pain and am still pretty active and lucky to enjoy life at age 78. NOW my dilemma is - the surgeon is recommending surgery which will be a two-day surgery consisting of a corpectomy of C5- and C-6, with a C3-7 ACDF and PSF. After listing all the risks of having the surgery he also wrote that the patient understands that there is a risk that I could be no better, or I could be worse after surgery. He said if it was his mother he would recommend surgery, but he definitely could understand if I chose not to have the surgery. I have NO pain or other issues! If I didn't have the head tremors when laying down, I wouldn't even know any of this! He is planning on going through the front of my neck, staying at the hospital that night and the next morning going back to the operating room to go through the back of my neck to insert a rod and screws to stabilize the front surgery from the day before. ( The surgeon said must be done because my bones are thin.) Do you know what the recuperation would be? It just seems to me, if there is a risk of having surgery, and there is a risk of not having surgery I don't know what my answer should be!! Any recommendations would be wonderful!!

My Physical Therapist said that trying physical therapy first is the best thing. If nothing else, you are stronger, and the surgery goes better. Take just a little more time to do this. Also, investigate the allergic reactions people have from the rods--there are different types.

I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to say "Thank you" for your reply. Right after I sent my original question, my husband fell off the bottom step and pulled his quad muscle in his leg and had to have surgery. I cancelled all my appointments in re to my spine issues until recently. I just had an appointment to review the results of the remaining tests. Now, I'm at the point of decision making and I'm more confused than ever! (I have severe cord compression of C5-6, moderate cord compression of C4-5 , disk bulging of C6-7, Disc collapse of C5-6 and C6-7, cervical spondylosis with myelopathy, and spinal stenosis of cervical region. Also, I have head tremors only when laying flat. (The tremors stop the very second when I sit up). With all of these issues, I still have absolutely no pain and am still pretty active and lucky to enjoy life at age 78. NOW my dilemma is - the surgeon is recommending surgery which will be a two-day surgery consisting of a corpectomy of C5- and C-6, with a C3-7 ACDF and PSF. After listing all the risks of having the surgery he also wrote that the patient understands that there is a risk that I could be no better, or I could be worse after surgery. He said if it was his mother he would recommend surgery, but he definitely could understand if I chose not to have the surgery. I have NO pain or other issues! If I didn't have the head tremors when laying down, I wouldn't even know any of this! He is planning on going through the front of my neck, staying at the hospital that night and the next morning going back to the operating room to go through the back of my neck to insert a rod and screws to stabilize the front surgery from the day before. ( The surgeon said must be done because my bones are thin.) Do you know what the recuperation would be? It just seems to me, if there is a risk of having surgery, and there is a risk of not having surgery I don't know what my answer should be!! Any recommendations would be wonderful!!

Hello all:
I have not posted in a while and am not sure this is the right place to do so. I had surgery for spinal stenosis with fusion in L4-L5 region in June of this year. The surgery itself was a success and no back pain or sciatica afterwards. However a week or two later I started feeling a pain running down the leg where I had sciatica. It is different than the sciatica pain; almost feels like bone pain. My surgeon said it could be nerve regeneration after having been compressed for so long. I am in my third week of twice a week physical therapy. I don’t feel much difference yet but maybe it is too early.
My surgeon is going to follow me more closely but didn’t say how long it will take for the pain to subside.
Has anyone experienced this condition and what was the outcome? Thanks for any and all responses.

I appreciate everyone's suggestions and help with stating what worked and didn't work. Since I am 76 and have these other issues, I just don't know what to do. I'm between a rock and a hard place........do I pass on having something done with my back and just deal with the copd and lung cancer (will have radiation again in 5 months, third time for that) The shots help some but only for about 2-3 weeks and then its back to pain and if I keep on like this,,, I will be going to notre dame and join mr hunchback there...I'm sorry, I shouldn't complain......deal with what I have and move on............ Faith, love and hope to all of you.

If you are NOT having pain with all your issues, why take a chance with surgery which can cause chronic pain and cause more problems. Their should be a med for tremors. Why subject yourself to surgery when you are active and have NO pain?

Thank you so much for taking the time for responding. What is causing the biggest dilemma to me is the fact that my spinal cord is definitely narrowing and if it continues to narrow, I would be paralized or /and lose body functions. The surgeons have both said, that the narrowing of the chord will definitely happen, but they can't say when. (It could happen in 10 months or it could happen in ten years!) I am now 78 years old. If this happened when I was younger, I would definitely have surgery but at my age now, it's a hard decision to make. In the list from the notes of my last appointment explaining all the risks of my surgery, the surgeon also added "She understands there is a risk that the patient is no better or worse off after the surgery." I keep going back to that sentence and then my family keeps bringing up the fact that if I don't have the surgery I could be in a wheelchair in a year or two if this narrowing continues fast. The surgeon also mentioned that if I put off my decision too long, because of my age, they wouldn't recommend surgery for someone in their 80"s!! I go back and forth with making a decision.