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I originally hurt my neck in work back in 2002. I had first surgery fused at C-4 and C-5, to make a long story short, i just had my second surgery 6 months ago, July of 2012. This time, i was cut both in the front and back of my neck, having to redo the whole thing, my first fusion never healed properly. i now have a 3 level fusion from C-4 through C-7, and rods and screws done through the back of my neck. Just finished up 10 weeks of PT, with not much improvement. I have lost so much ROM, i cant sit for more then an hour without something behind my head. The pressure is unbearable at times, and is constantly hurting me, my tissues and muscles are so tensed up, after 10 years of this, it just seems to never end. There are not many people who understand what its like to have constant pain unless you have been in the situation. Im tired of feeling not like myself, always being down, its a constant struggle everyday. I have been on medication for years that i am immune to it. I just feel like this is my life now, and i just take it day by day. That's all i can do at this point.
I realize the original post started 3 years ago but I want to share what I found to be the best solution for me in hopes that it will help someone else. I was injured in a freak accident in June, 2011 and suffered tremendous pain ultimately leading to the acdf surgery 15 months later. I still have pain although nothing like I did prior to the surgery. The suggestion I would like to make is in regards to the dilemma of pain meds wearing off while waiting for the time you can take your next dose. I found myself in the same predicament. I told my doctor as the pain meds wore off the only thing I could do was crawl up in a ball, cry, and wait for the clock to click off the minutes until I could take the next dose. Even then there was the problem of waiting an additional 45 minutes for it to take effect. He described it as peaks and valleys. He actually drew a straight line through the middle of what looked like a mountain showing the peak and valleys and said it was important to keep the pain as level as possible. He said pain is very hard on the body, in more ways than the obvious. He prescribed for me a pain patch that you change every 7 days. It is called Butrans Transdermal Pain Patch. It has saved my life. I think it comes in 20 and 30 mgs. I am still using the 20 mg patch 4 months after my acdf surgery. My neurosurgeon was surprised to hear I still had pain at my post-surgery follow up visit and recommended PT which I did not do because a friend who is a physical therapist told me what they would do and explained it can easily be done on my own at home. I told the surgeon about using the pain patch and he said that was fine. I am a little discouraged that I am still having to use it even though I went thru with the surgery which I thought would fix the problem. But like I said, I am still grateful for the surgery because the pain does not even compare to what I suffered prior to the surgery. Ask your doctor for this pain patch if you are still having pain. It has been a blessing to me.
I have had C5,C6, and C7 disk and vertebrae replaced also titanium cage. I am also in constant pain I hate it! I feel for you too!
I have given up hope of ever fully recuperating from this surgery.
The back of my neck is so sensitive I cannot stand for anyone to rub my neck. I still have problems sleeping and wake up with body stiff and asleep. To even get to sleep often times takes me an hours or so. Tossing and turning trying to find that "just right" position that doesn't hurt. In the last several months though I have found I can lay on my back longer with a toweled rolled up and positioned under my neck that's a big plus.
Cannot do any physical activities (standing, bending, lifting, reading, writing, etc) for any length of time.
I have been diagnosed fibromyalgia, Vit D defeciency. I feel like I've had fibro for a long time before having surgery that
This isn't a pleasant thing! It's been a few years now and I'm starting to have problems again with the headaches, both my l&r arms are staring to bother me bad again like going numb,tingling feeling again and I'm just 45 years old and I don't know what to do anymore.
P.S the bad thing is I don't know I can bare living with this pain again. Bit when you explain to your doctor they treat you like you don't know your body. I don't like pain and I really don't know how I damaged my neck either. But the main thing is my doctor tells me I'm too young to be going through this and all I can say is wow really. So I just don't know what to do anymore someone HELP please
I dont know anything about fibromyalgia, but i did have surgery on C3/C4 about 2 years ago and the burning pain continued from my neck down my right arm and into my hand. It was constantly servere. I read somewhere on this site some one had something similar done to them and they recommended trying R-Alpha Lipoic Acid. I searched intensely on the net and found a reputable supplier of this product R-Alpha lipoic Acid. I have been on this product for about 3 weeks now and I can say there has been an improvement.
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I had spinal fusion surgery about 22 years ago...I was able to work for about 18 of those years on non narcotic utram. I am now on disability and in constant pain...but the meds I have to take help...I am on a fentanyl patch which really helps keep me from taking too many other pain meds..thus sparing my liver.
My best advice is if you have the surgery..wear your neck brace even longer than your doctor tells you to..I wore a hard brace for a week and then switched to a soft neck collar....which I still occassionally throw on to help me. DO NOT LIFT OR BEND OR STRAIN YOURSELF WHILE YOU ARE STILL HEALING. YOU MUST let the bones fuse correctly or else just don't have the surgery.....if they don't fuse correctly you will never be well. Hope this helps you some.
I also had the c3-c7 surgery. I have serious arthritis which Dr. removed and says it is cause of my headaches that I live with daily. I take lyrica 75mg, zanaflex 4mg and vicodin es as needed which seems constantly. My neurosurgeon referred me to a neurologist and his answer was quote "you're taking too much medicine, you're having reounds." In 1994 I fell 8 ft. off our drydocked sailboat into the parking lot, that was the beginning of my serious headaches (I've suffered w/migraines since 12). After years of tests, studies and doctors and universities opinions they decided I had rebound and took me off all meds. I can tell you right now I did not suffer from rebound, my pain increased drastically and I was basically useless! I couldn't hold a job, most days lucky to get out of bed.
So.... I emphasize with you. I'm now awaiting to get into a pain management program.
Wishing you the best
I had ACF c4/5 c5/6 4/23/2012. I had excruciating pain in my arm but none in my neck prior to surgery. I had been popping percocet every four hours to try and stay ahead of the pain. After a few weeks of constant perc ingestion, I started developing migraines which I had never had before. I figured out through researching online that the migraines were actually being caused by the percocet. They put me on a cocktail of more drugs to counteract the migraines so I could continue to take my pain meds. The surgery cured my nerve pain but.......now I have neck pain. Thankfully it's not nearly intense as the pain that led me to surgery but it is depressing. Some days it feels like my head is just too heavy for my neck! I started seeing a chiropractor a couple of times a week along with a massage routine which seems to help but so far, the longest I've been pain-free was 10 days. I've been following some yoga for neck pain videos on YouTube and that really seems to help but once again, not long term. I'm only 43 and I too can't imagine how I will deal with this as I get older!
I understand what your saying. I've had my 2nd cervial fusion with a cage just 7 weeks ago. I am having tremendous pain, doc say it will go away. I can't lay, recline, just sit up straight, sleep, I forget what that is, is been a long time since I slept over 2 hrs at a time. I don't know if this is normal, I really worried that I am going to have to live with this for the rest of my life. I just wawnt to be normal again, do all the things I live to do. Instead I know what hurts my neck or things I do to make it hurt worse...
thanks for the advice. So hard to just not do the normal things. I hate the brace, but will take your advice
I feel for you. I am to schedule a MRI soon to find out if my previous C 6-7 fusion has failed or what is going on to cause me terrible pain. I will not let them operate on my again. I am on strong narcotics and hate that but that is what it takes for me to have any kind of life. You are right..it is a constant struggle and we just have to take one day at a time.
I have read all of the posts on this site. I completely understand how you all feel. I was involved in a car accident in 2002 and about six months later, slipped and fell on ice. About two years later I began to feel the nerve pain that everyone describes but added to that, it felt like I was being stung by bees on my arms. My arms were achy, heavy and I had troubles getting my arms up to comb or wash my hair. There were days that my hands were so swollen that I couldn't open the pill bottles. I was sent from doctor to doctor and made to feel like I was crazy for about two years before I ended up in a neurologists office. He listened and smiled. I thought, "great, another doctor who thinks I'm nuts". But he said, "I think I know what this is". I immediately broke down in tears. I was so tired of not sleeping and hurting all the time. I fought doctor after doctor to keep from being put on anti-depressants. I kept telling them "I'm not depressed, I'm pissed! No one will believe me and I'm miserable." He sent me for a Ferratin blood test (iron content), x-rays and an MRI. He immediately put me on Neurontin which worked for one year. When the pain came back, he sent me into Pain Management. I took Cervical Steroid Injections for three years until my body built up an immunity to them. At that point we tried every medication on the market, Lidoderm patches, Tramadol, Vimovo, Lyrica, Requip and yes, even anti-depressants. What I wish they would have told me in the beginning that anti-depressants block the serratonin and norapernepharine (SP) in your body which blocks pain signals in the brain. If you've not yet tried an anti-depressant, please consider it. It can help. But again after a year, my body built up an immunity. I went back on the Neurontin again until I was at the top of the dosing scale. Then I was sent to see a neurosurgeon. I had anterior cervical fusion of C4-7 with titanium rods and screws and synthetic discs that were filled with bone marrow from my hip. The day after my surgery, my throat swelled so that I could not swallow. It's been three months since my surgery - November of 2012. After 10 days, I was no longer on any prescribed medications - only Advil. I still have some residual nerve pain, but the episodes are becoming fewer and farther between. I went to physical therapy and did manage to regain normal function of my neck again. My surgeon told me not to expect complete recovery for one year. My only complaint at this point is the lump in my throat and the problems with swallowing. I lost 10 pounds after surgery due to that fact. My surgeon also tells me this may never go away. I'm not sure if anything I've written here will help anyone either, but it's my story - take from it what you can. Just know you are not alone. Oh, and I'm 49 and I too feel like I've been 80 or more for the last five years of my life. It's nice to finally feel somewhat normal again. But I can tell you that I can predict changes in the weather because of my neck!
hey I'm so sorry for what your going threw and I truly feel your pain. About 1 1/2 yrs ago I got into a car accident and herniated my C5-C6. As a result Jan 2012 I had a ACDF performed. I was very grateful for this surgery and don't get me wrong still to this day I am. My doctor was able to relieve the shooting, radiating pain in my arm and neck, along with the numbness in my right hand to elbow. I was happy finally I was getting better. My doctor said it could take up to 3-6 months to recover from this surgery and the pain and discomfort that I was feeling in my neck, across the shoulders, and my arms was normal. Anyways come a year later I'm still feeling all that pain and it's getting worse radiating into my lower back to hips and as far as down my knees. I constantly feel this radiating, burning pain (especially around my joints) almost like my body is on fire. I have that with the chronic migraines (primarily behind the eyes), restless painful nights, confusion, disorientation, depression, and anxiety. On top of all that I got diagnosed with bilateral carpal tunnel and osteopenia. I completely understand the feeling like your 80. I'm only 30. I have to find a doctor that can help me with whatever this is. On my behalf though my orthopedic just recently told me that there's nothing more he could do for after a year other than keep me off work and refer me to pain management. He did suggest that I seek another specialist out but couldn't tell me what type sense I have an idiopathic condition in his eyes. I'm sorry there really is point to all this.Prior to the accident I was a massage therapist. While I was in school I learned about a condition called fibromyalgia. It's a very painful disease. It's a common for wide spread pain and tenderness of muscles, joints, ligaments, and tendons over a long period of time (longer than 3 months). More common in women but in some cases men have been known to get it and most common age is the 30's. Common cause is trauma. You should ask your doctor about it. Symptoms also include migraines, fatigue, depression, insomnia, and anxiety. There's 18 tender points on the body, you need 13 out of 18 to be diagnosed. It's TREATABLE!! I'm not about to say that's what you have, but it's another option to explore. I don't know if you've tried or not, but a licensed massage therapist could help with the symptoms you have. At worst case you feel a moment of relief. I don't know about you but I need ever chance I get. When I get a good massage it lasts bout 1-3 days pending where I kinda feel like a normal person. It doesn't completely get rid of all the pain but it makes it so much more tolerable. I hope this helps you. Good luck to you.