Ann
I had ruptured discs at L4-5 that pressed on the spinal nerves and the sciatic nerve that runs down the leg. Eventually the foot started to tingle and feel like I was stepping in cold water. After that the foot and leg went numb. I finally had a fusion that cured all the symptoms. Check into a laminectomy to see if your condition would benefit from that rather than the radical step of a fusion. Good luck. Ann