Question
Im an army soldier currently in iraq..
i recently took an mri of my cervical spine and lumbar spine..the results are as follows:
Cervical: Mild spinal canal stenosis at c5-c6
secondary to the left of the protrusion..
mild effacement ot the ventral portion of the fhecal sac and canal narrowing..mild anterior osteophytes at c3-c4
paraspinal tissue are grossly in normal limits..

Lumbar:Mild disc desiccation and narrowing at l5-s1
with a small associated disc buldge..there is streghtening of the lumbar lordosis. disc bulge at l5-s1

the medical docs tould me to wait till october (when we get back to the states) to get the surgery..
Basically i want your opinion as to what to do next...
The pain is increasing...i have had this neck pain since i was about 18yr old..now im 27..
should i get surgery?  Should i wait that long? will it get worse if i wait..what are my risk in surgery?
Not to mention i have a seperated shoulder ...they called it between a t2 and t3 shoulder seperation...will that need surgery too...sorry for the many questions...unfortunatley, med doc arent as trustworthly as one might think...
you can email me a [email protected]
thank for your time and patience..


Answer
A quick explanation of the MRI -- You have a herniated disc in the cervical spine that is touching the spinal cord, and osteophytes are a result of previous injury and the body is laying down more bone to help support the unstable joint.  In the lumbar spine, a desiccation is a piece of disc that has separated from the rest of that disc, this will reabsorb into the body, as long as this is not causing neurologic symptoms you are ok.  
Since you have dealt with the symptoms this long, you could probably wait, should you wait - NO, but I would wait until you got back to the States so you can find the best neurosurgeon to do the job.  It could get worse just because it sounds like you have some significant injuries.  There is always risks with surgery, that is why I would "shop" around for the best neurosurgeon to fix the spine/vertebrae.  Depending on the degree of injury to the shoulder and if the symptoms keep returning, your shoulder will probably need surgery also.  I am not a surgeon, so this is only my opinion.  
The lumbar spine does not need surgery, I see many patients with similar disc issues and we treat them without surgery and with great success, it all depends on the degree of symptoms when you get back.  I suggest chiropractic care for your lumbar spine and the rest of your ailments besides the neck (at this point).  When you get back and you are interested in some chiropractic care, the is a group of chiropractor of which I am a member and we treat such lumbar problems safely and effectively with very gentle techniques.  The website for this organization is www.sorsi.com, we are located all over the U.S.  I am in St. Paul, Minnesota and would be more than happy to see you.  If you would like help locating a doctor when you get back or if you have any other questions or concerns, please email me.

Dr. Starbuck