C5 disk and C6-C7, C7-T1

[James-Filarsky]

  I had a fusion of disks between C6-C7 and C7-T1 in May of 1996.  I had problems with numbness in my left hand,  and pain in the upper back and lower neckafter physical activity.  My treating physician did not see any problems with my condition.  I then had a consultation with another Doctor.  This doctor had an mri and x-rays taken.  The x-rays showed that the fusions did not take, and the mri showed a bulge at T5, and a protrusion into a nerve at C7.
  Iwould like some advice on this matter, and some help in finding a Doctor in California who can treat my situation.
  I am a 38 year old male in good medical condition.
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Dear James,
Wen dealing with discs in the cervical spine, much of what needs to be done
is driven by the symptoms a patient is having.  If you are having pain, numbness or weakness attributable to the nerve that is being pinched by a disc, then surgery may be an option.  This depends on the degree of herniation and the severity of your symptoms.  You have already been fused at two levels in the cervical spine, and your surgeon may choose to be conservative in light of this.  Remember that discs will shrink with time and that about 30% of the population has a bulging disc at some level and they don't even know it.
There are literally hundreds of good spine surgeons in California.  Speak to your physician and ask around to find a good one for you.
Good luck.