Sandra
Dear Chuck, I have had 4 cervical discectomys w/ fusions over the past 8 yrs. Depending upon the severity of your damage, the results will vary. I had an injury 20 yrs. ago that resulted in what I'm going thru now. Over time the damaged progressed and led to surgery. I have nerve damage that I'm dealing w/ now. If the disc is herniated enough to be causing arm pain and spasms I would get another opinion before I had nerve blocking done, that only maskes the problem. If this is a relatively new problem, surgery could be extremely beneficial and the longer you wait to get it done the more potential for more damage. I know several people who have had surgery right after injury w/ no further problems (these were all at least 3 yrs ago). I urge you to get a second opinion.