Post cervical spine surgery pain

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Hello- I am new to this board. On 12-5-07 I had fusion surgery for c6 and c7. Before this, I was a mess with severe pain in left shoulder and down left arm for about 3 weeks.

The surgery was a success, I suppose- or so far, so good, at least. I went back to work (desk job) on the 14th day after surgery. My boss is a real jackass, and he wonders why I was out of work for so long- thinks 2 weeks off is quite unmanly and weak. I told him that the doctors all say that you shouldn'e go back until at LEAST a month of recovery, boss scoughs at this. Well, now boss has been gone from work for 5 days- he had foot surgery. I wonder whats taking the little wimp so long to get back to work?

Anyway, I was left with some nerve damage down my left arm- mainly in my thumb, forefinger and the same area of the hand itself. Have any of you had this kind of pain? Its pretty much a tingling sensation, and its not getting any better, as far as I can tell. However, I did have tightness in the shoulder blade, and thats pretty much gone, suddenly. Do the nerves heal from the spine on down the arm?

My surgery (+ 8 days in the hospital) ran about $52,000. I couldn't believe that. Thank goodness for overpriced insurance! Good luck to all of you, looking forward to a little feedback about the nerve pain question...

Thanks! Smile

sctt297422 · Newbie Joined: 28 Aug 2007 Posts: 14 Location: HOME

sctt297422 · Newbie Joined: 28 Aug 2007 Posts: 14 Location: HOME

copchick13 · Newbie Joined: 08 Jan 2008 Posts: 2

I underwent a spinal fusion for C4-5 and C5-6 and C-7 is still bulging. I also have the titanium plate and cadaver bone but never had any pain before being diagnosed with the herniations, severe spinal cord compression and edma of the cord as a result of a traffic accident almost a year ago. The only symptoms were headaches, nausea, vomitting, tingling in my right arm, leg and a feeling like someone was pulling on my hair all day. My surgery went well, since the tingling is gone except for the strange burning sensation that still occurs in the right foot and up the leg. I am basicaclly always tired, this is 3 months post surgery and recently I have started to have episodes where I get some nausea again and terrible headaches which go up the sides of my neck, through the jaw and up into the temples on both sides. I suppose I should be greatful because I could have been left a quad in a wheel chair according to the neurosurgeon but in the mean time I have not been able to return to full duty or even restricted duty and am faced with fighting for disability while I heal. My neuro was honest and said that he couldn't guarantee that even though I didn't have any pain prior to surgery that I wouldn't have pain after surgery. I now have this terrible pain and what appears to be a spasm near the left shoulder blade and up the left side of my neck. I also had a labral tear repaired five months before the fusion(same car accident and first neuro told me that I had the spine of a 44 yr. old woman and refused to do an MRI~welcome to workmen's comp!). Now I don't know how much is caused by the first surgery and what has occurred as a result of the fusion. I still have poor range of motion because my shoulder froze after surgery and I was sick all through physical therapy because of the cord compression. I guess for those of you wondering whether the surgery is worth it, it defintely is if you have cord compression because the longer the cord is compressed, the more likely you are to sustain permanent nerve damage or end up a quad in a wheelchair. Good luck to everyone out there who is still trying to decide whether surgery is the right option and only your neuro can explain the options to help you make the right decision. My neuro told me that he isn't God and can only repair the damge to prevent permanent injury to the spinal cord and the rest is up to the individuals body as far as nerve regneration and chronic pain. Apparently, the results are unpredictable but as bad as I feel some days, I know that a simple fall could have caused paralysis and that was enough to make me sign the forms.

greg rose · Newbie Joined: 05 Feb 2008 Posts: 2

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I am 3 days post op C5-C6 surgery. I had bone spurs removed, a discectomy and cage and plate fusion. I really am doing OK so far. I have shoulder muscle pain down both sides and my neck hurts when I swallow from them moving everything aside for surgery. But after getting out of the hospital, I do sleep fairly well sitting up. Also my first night home I had a post-op fever for 8 hours that was 100.7, 100.4. then 100. Anyway, I will keep in touch and say some prayers for those of you that seem to be loosing hope. I think anytime our bodies are taxed with arthritis or surgery it takes awhile to recover and we aren't ever 100%. I am 54 years old and work at a hospital so I know. Hang in there. I will let you know how it goes for me too the next few weeks.

Tooltime · Newbie Joined: 12 Feb 2008 Posts: 1

I wanted to come back here and leave some positive feedback. I found this post the night before I went in for a C-5,6,7 discectomy fusion, and it scared me to death! Therefore..... I have to tell you all how it has gone for me. When I "came to" I was coughing badly, it hurt like heck, and I confess to being somewhat scared. There were several medical people around verbally comforting me until it passed, it seemed like about 30 minutes. Once that was over I had a terribly sore throat, which I wasn't expecting. Hindsight, this is something normal that they failed to mention to me before hand. I would say I had 16 hrs. of high level discomfort (the hospital used a 1-10 scale 1 being perseption of pain, 5 being where you need pain meds. 10 well.....we don't want to be there) I would rate the first 8 hrs at 8, the next 8 hrs brought it down to 6-7, I stayed the night and left the hospital in the morning then being around 6-7. I stayed there for about 3-4 days, used pain meds to keep things in check, went for a 1 mile walk on day 2. On day 10 went back for post op, had good neck movement and was using over-the-counter pain meds.. Now at day 14, was at work for about 4 hrs (no lifting!) went to the gym and used an elliptical machine for just 10 min. to see how it would go and was fine. I took 2 tylenol this morning, and am now ready for bed and haven't taken any pain meds since this morning. I'm very pleased so far and am following the Doc's orders to a "T". I hope if your reading this before going in it brings you some level of comfort, because I'm afraid the only folks posting are the ones that had a bad experience or are contemplating having it done. Not to many are looking around here unless thier concerned. I've met many who had successful surgeries, and not met any who didn't (not saying it doesn't happen because it does) just trying to put things into perspective.
* Ice for sore throat
* Pudding to help get the swallowing motion going before eating solid foods
*Recliner
*Flexi-straw
*Lots of books your interested in!
Good Luck!

ksf · Supporter Joined: 06 Jan 2007 Posts: 269

Great! I'm glad to learn of a positive outcome.
I'm sure you are right by saying most post here are for people searching for help because they did not have a positve outcome.
I also followed surgeon's orders to the "T". Slept sitting up for a month or more, etc.
Maybe these posts had you uptight but did it make you do some extra research on the surgery prior to having it done? If so then I feel my main mission was accomplished.
I went in relying on what my surgeon told me. The sad part he left alot of negatives out and I continue suffering from them day after day. Everyone undergoing this surgery should be aware that the outcome is not always a positive one (like me).
Godspeed to a full recovery.

Post cervical spine surgery pain

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