[annapurna]

If you reword your question to, "Should I have surgery to improve my quality of life?" it's a lot easier to answer. That's always a reason to consider the next step up in intervention; surgery in your case.

Numbness and muscle weakness would definitely drive one to pursue surgery and have done so for many posters on this board. Laura sought surgery for her second cervical ADR once she began seeing signs of muscle weakness and numbness. We didn't wait for the pain to ramp up because we knew what the situation was. She'd already been evaluated for the need for the 2nd cervical ADR when the first cervical surgery was done. We just hoped the second would stabilize where it was at that time and not need surgery. In your case, it sounds like the nerve impingement is causing you enough trouble that surgery should be on the list of potential options and Carr should, hopefully, engage with you about whether it's the path you want to take.