I will assume that ECI is another way to say an epidural steroid injection. If you have had therapy (of which traction is a part of) and an epidural with continued significant pain, you are a candidate for surgery. If you have no significant weakness or cord irritation signs and you still want to wait, you can but the odds of improvement without surgery do drop somewhat.
I assume you have a new MRI as an MRI from 2010 is not appropriate to use for your current diagnosis.
A posterior decompression is useful for an extruded disc herniation where the fragment is lodged in the foramen and not under the cord. See the video under posterior foraminotomy to understand this technique. If the herniation is “pressing on the cord” as you note, I personally would use an ACDF to treat this problem. You can see this surgery also on the website under ACDF.
If you are factor V deficient, you can use factor V IV medications prior to surgery for normal coagulation times.
Dr. Corenman
Donald Corenman, MD, DC is a highly-regarded spine surgeon, considered an expert in the area of neck and back pain. Trained as both a Medical Doctor and Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Corenman earned academic appointments as Clinical Assistant Professor and Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and his research on spine surgery and rehabilitation has resulted in the publication of multiple peer-reviewed articles and two books.