What Keeping Motion Means After Neck Surgery

If you have just been told you need a neck fusion, I want you to understand what that means for movement. Fusion and disc replacement both take pressure off the nerve. The difference is what happens at the place we operate.

Fusion joins bones in your neck with a plate and screws. Those bones become joined together, and that part of your neck stops moving.

Disc replacement removes the worn disc and puts an artificial disc in its place. It takes pressure off the nerve while keeping movement at that part of your neck.

That is what I mean by keeping motion. It is not a promise about how you will feel after surgery. It describes the difference between joining bones together and replacing the disc between them.

When we talk, I can give you a realistic picture for your situation. Understanding that difference is a place to start, not a decision about which operation is right for you.