Question
I have had neck pain for many years, just got MRI results, show severe central spinal stenosis at C3-C4, C5-C6 and C6-C7 intervertebral disc level. AP diameter of spinal canal measures only 6mm at C3-C4, approx 7 to 8 mm at C5-C6 and 8 to 9 mm at C6-C7, all intervertebral disc level.  mild central spinal stenosis at C4-C5. Right lateral recess stenosis at C5-C6.  Encroachment of bilateral neural foramina at multiple levels.  What are my treatment options, I am a letter carrier and am being offered early retirement, wondering if this is something I should consider?

Answer
Jim,
You do not need to take early retirement because of this.  What you should know is that your spinal canal is the most narrow at the top and it gets wider as you go down the spine.  Now, although you may have some spinal cord pressure it is most likely NOT due to your canal being too narrow.  In every case that has come to our office with the diagnosis of spinal stenosis, not one of them truly had that situation, not one, and we have seen many.
What they did have was an Upper Cervical Subluxation or Misalignment that has caused instability and misalignment in the remaining cervical vertebrae as well as the rest of the spine.  What was being observed by the doctors reading the MRI Pictures was the pressure on the spinal cord from the bones being in the wrong position and occluding the canal.
Do not let them talk you into surgery that you do not need and that is irreversible and damaging.
I highly recommend that you take off for a month or so if you could and come out to our clinic in St Louis for a proper nervous system examination and measurements of your Upper Cervical Spine.  We can then get you started on the right road back to health and then you can either come back to us periodically for check-ups, or we can set you up with a doctor in your area that we can instruct and direct on what to do in your particular case.
Feel free to email me at [email protected] or phone me at 314.995.5719 with any further questions.
Nothing is bigger than LIFE!
Yours in Best Health,
Dr Rob Arnone
Upper Cervical Specific Doctor
Saint Louis, Missouri