A member asked:

I am 18 yrs old. i have a congenitaly narrow spinal canal with 3 buldging disc.(l3-4, l4-5) i already seen a spine specialist. doesn't recommend surgery because he's not sure i would get positive results. i have done pt , chiropractor, nothing worked. eve

4 doctors weighed in across 2 answers

What are symptoms: Just because you have a small canal does not necessarily mean this is the cause of your back pain. Also, disc bulges are not symptomatic but normal findings on imaging studies. If your pain is arising from multiple disc levels, there is a lower success of spine surgery. Other factors that may also hinder a good result include smoking and obesity as well as being deconditioned or out of shape.

Answered 8/13/2012

5.7k views

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Dr. James Henning answered

Specializes in Anesthesiology

2nd Opinion: You'll probably need to get clarity and confirmation from other providers (neurosurgeons and/or orthopedic spine surgeons) about the reasons why an 18 actually has multi-level disc disease and might not respond well to surgical intervention.

Answered 11/7/2012

5.5k views

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