What is Cervical Stenosis? | Jeffrey Cantor, MD

My poor wife had five operations with rods and screws--her pain transferred from her back area to her rectum, legs and feet. This pain was blamed on scar tissue growing and nothing could be done. Even a pain pump did little. She suffered 30 years and lived to be 90. Thankfully she is now in a place where there is no pain or tears.

My wife had cervical spine surgery performed by Dr. Cantor just over three years ago. He is extremely skilled, knowledgeable, kind, and passionate about what he does. He literally preserved my wife's quality of life from further deterioration.

Today is September 22, 2022 approximately 17 months from my surgery with Dr Cantor. I’m in Spain today and Sicily later tomorrow on my five week vacation. I’m extraordinary blessed to have found , met, and had surgery with Dr Cantor. Lifting my own luggage, walking at least five miles a day all over Europe. Absolutely out of pain c2 to c7 surgery. Thank you Doctor Cantor

Dr Cantor is extremely good at explanation of this condition. Not every doctor is.

Highly recommend anyone with cervical stenosis to watch this entire excellent presentation.

Met with Dr Cantor had surgery 10 months ago December 9, 2020 best decision I could have made to select Dr Cantor. C2 to C7 full recovery …he is light years ahead with his technique. Traveled from California to Fort Lauderdale, I’m a walking miracle 😃😀🙂

December 9 2020 2.5 years and counting from day Dr Cantor performed c2 to c7 stenosis removal with the most extraordinary results. Other than a scar on my neck you would never known I had surgery. FULL MOVEMENT UP, DOWN, LEFT, AND RIGHT AND ABSOLUTELY NO RESIDUAL PAIN. Dr. Cantor knows what he’s doing..This man stands above the rest. My trip from California to Florida it was the best decision I made . Please don’t hesitate contacting this doctor.

That taught me an amazing amount about my DDD and Stenosis! I had no clue except that the "best doctor in the area" at the Neurologic Institute walked in my room, after looking at my x-rays, CT and MRI, and without examination immediately said, "You need surgery. I'm not seeing any other choice." My bigger fear came when I asked him how and he said he'd go in from the back. One month later he said he'd thought he'd change his mind and go in from the front. When I asked him what he actually wanted to do he told me, "You don't really want to know at this point. We will cross that bridge when we come to it". YES, I did want to know - hence why I watched this to give me a better informed decision - THANK YOU!! Curious? My decision is back where I started - no, I don't want fusion as it would later put more stress on C1-C2 and we know where that could go. You did however point out that waiting indefinitely isn't usually a better solution as the surgery may not go as well. This puts me to the thought that I will make sure to find a doctor that uses Ultrasonics (which I didn't know existed and now it's 2022!) for a better recovery even if they need to combine more than one way. May God bless you for your work and knowledge to be able (and willing) to share this information so very clearly in this video!

I’m a general surgeon with a cervical discal hernia. And I feel this explanation the most reliable one I’ve got until today from the Internet

I do not know how I got here. I think I came back from doing the dishes and youtube had advanced me to this video. then I couldn't tear myself away. Very well done so interesting that I was just mesmerized and tricked (pleasantly enough) into learning something about the spinal cord. I feel so smart now. Thank you, Doctor.

Excellent presentation on the condition I had at in my neck due to RA. Surgery was horrible and was very difficult, and took me 2 years to recover from. This doctor explained thoroughly and in-depth this condition. Thank you, Dr Cantor. Fantastic lecture.

This video came up as an advert break while watching something else on YouTube. I normally fwd ads, but this one got my full attention! I left the original programme and listened with attention! Amazing! Everyone should get this education! Thanks Dr.

I’m 29 years old and I was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis when I was 25 after many years of pain and searching for answers. A year ago I was told I had stenosis throughout my spine, including my neck, but I was never given any explanation of what that means. I’m glad I came across this video. Thank you for sharing this information with us Dr. Jefferey Cantor

Back in '88 and '91 I had 2 cervical spine surgeries. One from the back and the 2nd from the front of my neck. I believe they were successful with limited side to side neck movement. Years later, I became an RN. I must say your explanation was by far better than any my doctor or education I had provided. God bless you.

Thank you for sharing your video. I have spinal stenosis and bone spurs and I have also injured the same three discs twice. Since 1994 I have lived with chronic severe pain and some days I cannot walk. I also have arthritis. Your video has helped understand what is happening in my body and causing me so much pain. I thank you so very much for that.

57 years old. otherwise in good shape... about to tour internationally as a saxophone player. feet and hands have both tingling and numbness , walking is impared and stumbly... I'm 20 mins into this video. Gulp. Xrays mention mild to moderate DDD at C5-6 and moderate change at C4-5. Very appreciative. Usually I'm unwaveringly positive - and that's the way I'll have to be - whatever happens. Life has been great. Kids are becoming adults. I want to help them not hinder them. I going to make a coffee and watch the rest. Thanks for a high caliber info vid on this

This's by far the most informative well detailed video I've ever seen so far explaining the cervical spine nature and it's problems.

I'm a visual learner and especially appreciated the cartoony drawing in comparison to the MRI LOL! I'm scheduled to have surgery soon (I've held out for 6 years) and this was both scary as hell 😳 yet incredibly useful information. What a fantastic video. A+, Doctor. Thank you.

Great presentation! Thank you very much. I was diagnosed with an osteoarthritis when I was 17, my foramen magnum is misshaped from birth, along with most of my joints. My hip joints were not formed at all. They didn't discover any of this until I was over 3. It took a series of surgeries to construct hip sockets. I walked and was very active throughout my childhood, but was told that I would be in a wheelchair by the time I was 23. I walked until I dropped. Took the opportunity to defy my doctors at every point, working at ski resorts for 10 years and spending my summers hiking. When I was 26, it became obvious that my days were numbered. Things took a sharp downward dive when I was in a vehicle accident ending with a compression fracture of L5 and twisted L7. Spending six months in a Jewett brace allowed too much muscle loss. Oh, I walked but everything was going down hill fast. I had bi-lateral total hip replacements done at age 32, which allowed me to go back to college and begin a new career. One which was sedentary. Though I did end up with foot drop after my right hip replacement, I recovered most of the use of that leg and foot after about six years of a lot of work toward nerve regeneration. I started to transition into a wheelchair when I was 43, after four attempts to stabilize my left hip with reconstruction surgeries. It was about this time when they discovered the misshaped foramen magnum and diagnosed the stenosis in both my neck and lower spine. The core exercises I was doing for physical therapy to help gain my strength back was causing a lot of inflammation in my neck. The area above and below my lip was going numb, my arms would tingle down to my fingers. I was getting white flashes of light across my vision and sharp pained headaches. They stopped all exercises that involved raising my arms above shoulder height and started limiting my movements. They wouldn't do steroid injections, because the cannels had narrowed too much. I have yet to talk to anyone who has really been satisfied with any of the surgeries. I've already had 19 surgeries and the last two were very difficult to recover from. The pain is just too much. Oh, I could take more pain medication however, I don't like the side affects. I retired a couple of years ago, after 20 years of service in higher education at a community college. I'm now 60 and spend my days on a couch. I use a cane to get around my apartment, but need the power chair for anything outside of the apartment. When the weather changes or I do too much - that darn chair dancing or couch dancing in most cases - causing an inflammation flare up. Not one of my doctors have ever really explained what all of this is and I've been asking. You have tied up so many lose ends for me and given me a great picture of what has and is happening. Thank you!.

I'm 70 years old and have been diagnosed with Cervical Stenosis at the age of 52. I had difficulty holding up my head. My Doctor did not want to do a fusion. I was told to exercise, which was very painful. However, I continued to do as instructed. In time I was able to enjoy a game of gulf and pickleball. Now, I do have relapses, but the discomfort is in the neck and back. I stay in bed for about a week and I am good to go. My relapses accure when I slack up on my exercise. I have gone as long as two years without a relapses. Exercise has been my only savor. I am so thankful to this day that my Doctor wold not do surgery. If is suffering from a similar situation, just try exercise you have nothing to loose. Stay Strong ♥️