Arm pain after cervical fusion surgery

I had this same fusion of 3 disks with plate and bone grafts back in 1993.. This was after the original work related accident back in 1985, when I was told nothing was wrong.. I worked with constant pain, went home from work crying every night until they finally did MRI in 1990, and found all the damage.. Then went thru physical therapy etc for 3 year until they finally desided to send me to a surgeon.. It is now 2012 and I have never gone back to work since the operation in 1993!!

I have had 5,6,7,cervical fusion in 2003 for a few months i felt great then i began to have problems with my left sholder and lower back my neck damage was so sever i was almost crippled the doctor told my wife and i before surgery that one hit from behind would have crippled me.

I had cervical suegury 6 months ago and was feeling great over the last 5 months. The numbness in my arms and hands disappered over this time, but in the past month I began to have finger tingleing and severe pain in my third finger on my left hand. The pain began at 3 am and by 5 am ioften got up and the pain would slowly disappear after a few hours. But this cycle has occured every night for several weeks. Today I saw my doctor and he gave me some nerve pills to reduce the pain. I haven't tried them yet, but I am hoping I can at least sleep thru the night.
gene

yes i had my op 2 weeks ago 4 pain iin arm i still cant lift my arm right up and have back acge but will give a bit longer they went in through my neck and it does feel stiff is this normal when i bend forward my back seems 2 pull

Hello Guest,



I had the same surgery you had 4 months ago and am wondering if /when my head, neck pain is going to go away. I have the same headaches that I had before surgery if I drive over rough streets.. I am wondering how you are getting along now, I see that your post was over a year ago.



I hope you are okay now.

I had the same surgery and having the same type of complications. I have tried to handle the pain with little medications, done the PT and now the headaches and arm pain are beginning to overwhelm .

Guest wrote:

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Hello everyone, I just wanted to share my experience as well. I had a cervical fusion done in November of 2002. Levels C4-C5, and C5-C6, I have a plate and screws, they used the bone from my hip. It was a long recovery and finally in January of 2004 I was able to return to work. Although I still had a little pain, loss motion. I was able to tolerate it and move on. In April of 2008, I started having issues again, and went back to the doctor. I was told my fusion never healed properly, and needed more surgery. I just wanted to cry, I chose to not get the surgery and try other options. I have had more then 20 injections over the last few years. Every one that is out there I have had. None of them have helped. It is now March of 2012 and not a day goes by that my neck doesn't bother me. I have been going to pain management one for almost 4 years and that has gotten me no where but tons of medications that I take on a daily basis. I am so aggravated and confused on what to do, there are no guarantee's that if I get repeated on, it will help me any more then the first one did. I have been on this journey for over 9 year and quite frankly have had enough. I just want to live a pain free life. I also have the arm pain the numbness, I drop things when using my right hand. Very sad, I didn't realize there were so many people with the same complaint.

Hi Mary, I just read your post. Iam the one who started this thread actually and was checking back....apparently there is no good news to read. I've had 4 injections in neck and a month ago he carterized several areas which are numb now but it felt like i had just had surg. for 3wks! the pain has changed and now is lower on left side. iam afarid to go back and say AGAIN.....Iam still hurting...sigh...i too wish i could have a pain free life again! apparently we are not alone given the posts!

Mary, I had the same surgery in 5/2010 and seemed as if the pain after surgery was 24/7 I dumped the surgeon who kept telling me it will take a year, he hit a nerve during sugery and caused my left arm to be weak. I work full time and am 52 I have had no life but pain, and pain meds that dont work, went back to a neurologist and he said the surgery was a wash, so I just had sutgery again but only fused 2 disc even though the rest were still bad, I am 1 week post surgery and feel better already. the pain is different and Im hopeful it will get better. perhaps you need a new surgeon I did alot of research and found the best in our area Im not ready to retire, or give up on living and dontwant to be on meds

I had the same surgery in 2007, and for the last 2 years I have been experiencing the same pain that you have and it is getting progressively worse. The only way I can stop the pain at night is take 2 (400 mg Gabapentin) and one (1) (800 mg) Ibupropen to help me sleep and it only helps me for about 6 hrs and then the pain comes back.

my surgery was in July 2010 and I have the exact issues that you described, plus I have a contant lump in my throat feels like I cant swallow. But, much better than prior to the operation.

I had a fusion C5-6 in December due to work injury...  First month felt great was in hard collar for 6 wks, then put in soft collar for 6 weeks.  About a month after surgery started having pain that is now worse than before surgery..  My employer is now trying to put me back to work and I guess think I just dont want to come back.   I would love to go back and feel normal again.  I thought maybe it was in my head because they told me i would be better..  wish now i would have never done the surgery. the pain used to come and go and is now constant.  My doctor tells me fusion looks great.  I am requesting another MRI  but they are fighting me because the surgeon does not think I need one.  Any suggestions on what i can or need to irstdo?

Sounds like my life. Acdf 3-level 3/30/07, yes some arn pain, babk pain, even facial pain but that did improve but the hearing loss in one ear ish there and balance issues without myelopathy. I am courtreporter/need perfect arms. I awoke from surgery with horrible pain, then for short time ( plus I am optimist, did not want to hur docs feelings ) but by 4/08 had newb MRI and I had fusion at new level c3/4 and t,1/2 not operated on purpose was too difficult. I went for several second opinions- total waste. If u need them, go out of town for them as they must bevbuds on weekends at the club. After everything fine but now severe cord compression at c3/4 snd surgeon wanted to remove plate, hard fuse c3/4.... Losing my confidence, hard to use my arms at all p.t. Never worked. I think o r know I had some form (not-infuse), but I think they rebranded different kinds and mine stuff between desks never marketed from - not sure on it all - alphaspine/tec; Terrible arm pain, had facet injections, cortizones, rhizotomy shots, myelograms. Other docs local will not discuss fusion and want me back at surgeons office, not theirs Finally, went to teacher and neurosurgeon: he said c6 did not heal correctly and he had never seen fusion like mine. So I think that is where pain is from. Sad to think u have to go far enough away from surgeon to get real honest second opinion, teachin facilities are reasonable, have highly rated docs. I have off label Bone growth in cervical and they do not do that anymore. I think now my voice is raspy, dysphasia ? Scary. No reason for it. That is common with bone growth and procedure sounds same, but they were threatened with trademark infringement, so the were allowed to use pricey bone hardening of what was pricey and they got to use what they had on stock - not lucky me. I need doc who is courageous enough to tell me how this affects arms as that is normal post op and think the long term post complications are coming I need to work. Economy is bad. I own my own small business-will people out of work. Need ins. I wore the spinalpakII for a year post surgery vs two to three months of others. Look at your hospital drug sheet at hosp, not your file, tells you the story Do your homework, spine universe ... I found outvmy doc patented new tools and had 2corp reps in my surgical suite. Ruined my life with pain. Hard meds will not help, cannot run business.  ***this post is edited by moderator *** *** web addresses not allowed***

Kristy.......non of the feedback here is very positive iam sad to say......my MRI didnt show much of anything either...i did end up with a pain specialist who did shots a few times but no relief......i have stayed with drs. who work in a teaching hospital frankly......not that they have cured anything but.............perhaps a new dr. can write the correct wording so they will agree to another mri for you......i dont think they show everything anyway though. Iam in the boat with everyone in this group...had the 2 surgeries...have the plate and screws...and iam just to afraid to let them try anything very big again as iam afraid of what i might be left with which i dont think would be any better than i am now. I guess there are no breakthroughs on neck issues. iam still hoping someday they will allow plastic discs to be used and i could get rid of the metal plate! iam the weatherwoman for the family!....i dont want to retire but i cant work 8 hr days anymore..my neck cant take it.......they went through the front and back and i'd never let them open up the back again EVER......!.......the front went well except for a sore throat etc briefly but the back is a whole other issue for me anyway!!! All i say everyday is if only i had a neck!.........i just hope people keep posting on this so we might know if something new has come along.,...........