Spine Motion Guide

Candidacy

Am I a candidate?

This questionnaire is an educational tool. It helps you organize symptoms, imaging, and questions for a physician. It does not diagnose you, approve you, or exclude you from surgery.

Editorially reviewed: September 2, 2026

Mature adult walking with a subtle lumbar spine illustration

Answers stay on this device. Nothing is submitted, stored on a server, or used to decide whether a procedure is appropriate.

  1. Step 1 of 4

    Symptoms and walking

    Where pain, numbness, or heaviness shows up, and how far you can walk before you need to sit.

  2. Step 2 of 4

    Imaging and diagnosis

    Whether you already have MRI or CT reports describing stenosis, spondylolisthesis, or prior surgery.

  3. Step 3 of 4

    Treatments already tried

    Therapy, medicines, injections, and operations you have already completed.

  4. Step 4 of 4

    Goals and questions

    What you want from treatment, and what you want to ask a surgeon before anyone discusses implants.

Step 1 of 4 · Symptoms and walking

Step 1 · Symptoms and walking

Answers stay on this device. This questionnaire is educational. It does not decide whether surgery is appropriate. Use Back to change an earlier step.

What bothers you most when you stand or walk?
About how long can you walk before you need to rest?

For labeled indications and trial results, see theclinical evidence page. For how fusion and TOPS differ structurally, seefusion versus TOPS.

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