[wwolff64]

Hello to all:

48 year old male here. Long issue of Cervical spine issues ranging from sore neck to completely useless left arm (took 8 weeks to get feeling and muscle control back on that one) over the past 20 years. Root cause of issue a combination of a car crash as a teen, an alcohol-induced stunt in my twenties and an MRI-based diagnosis of "degenerative joint disease" 12 years ago.

My quest for the best solution to the numbness/tingling/heaviness in all 4 limbs came to a new chapter when the Doc went over the MRI with me and suggested C5/6/7 discectomy/fusion. I'm obviously concerned about resulting ROM reduction and subsequent adjacent joint wear. Having said that, doing nothing is not an option based on my symptoms, and an MRI showing significant impingement of the spinal column at c5/c6.

In the process of running all over the web to learn as much as I could about my condition, his proposed treatment and alternatives, I became aware that ADR was an option (which he had not disclosed). In more subject specific searches, I found this forum.

Obviously, I am interested in gathering as much information as I can in a short period of time, and this forum appears to hold much promise to that end.

I guess my first question to the group is has someone here developed a database of doctors performing ADRS, and some info re their experience set(s)?

My first hurdle is to decide the course of treatment most appropriate for me, and then decide the WHO and HOW of that treatment plan, but I need to be expeditious as well as careful. I keep looking at the MRI and something tells me that I need to get all my facts gathered and start down a treatment path sooner rather than later (before I no longer get a say in things like when I will go to the bathroom)!

Thanks in advance for any and all thoughts/info you might have to help me climb the learning curve as fast as possible.

Best Regards,