Pain in between shoulder blades following Anterior Cervical Discectomy Fushion Surgery-2 weeks Post

Gunny, what were your symptoms/pain? Im suffering from terrible shoulder blade pan/spasms after my c4-c6 and it has been one year now. My surgeon dismissed me and the mri says "osseous integration.." etc so everything sounds fused, no new disks blown abve/below but...i still hurt which tells me something is still wrong. I am pushing for a ct scan.

Hi. My name is Michele. I;m 56 yrs old.I'm 27mos. post ACDF C5-C6-C7. My first symptom prior to SX was pain behind my R shoulder blade then down my arm and numb fingers.. MRI showed two herniated discs pressing on my cord I agreed to SX. I still have pain post SX now it is behind both shoulder blades and down my arms. I have balance issues and weakness in my upper body. My feet shuffle.You are not alone. Many people with cervical issues have pain behind the shoulder blade. I find releif with Icy Hot patches but more recently a TENS unit. I will never have surgery again. I have more pain now that before.

I am now 3 months post-op on c5 and C6.  My surgery was a major success with all arm pain and numbness disappearing almost immediately.  I work at a desk pretty much all day so I attempted to go back 1 week after surgery, but found that to be a mistake quickly as the pain in between my shoulder blades was horrendous and it hurt to move my neck around so much.  I tried again at the 1 1/2 week mark and was fine.  At my final post-op, I asked my doc's PA about the pain in between my shoulder blades since it did reoccur several times after that first attempt and she explained it as the spine below the fusion site having to work more to make up for the range of motion lost with the fusion.  It made sense to me and it hasn't been constant since then, though it is an occasional problem.  However, compared to the pain and numbness before the operation and the fact that it is not constant, it is a minor issue.  I definitely recommend the surgery.  I live in NC and Dr. Robert Lacin in Raleigh was highly recommended to me and I definitely agree!!  I wish all of you that are having problems the best.  

I am 9 days post cervical fusion of C6-C7. I did amazing during and after I woke up from the surgery. 4 days ago, which was 5 days after the surgery, I stared getting terrible pain/aching in the middle of my back. Now, is is strictly on the left side of my back and in my shoulder blade. If I move the wrong way, it takes my breath away and I let out a yell. I know that C6-C7 does cause pain that radiates into the shoulders, BEFORE surgery, but I didn't not expect anything like this after my surgery. I go see my surgeon in 5 days, for my 2 week post op but not sure I can wait till then. This is my 3rd neck surgery and I never had issues like this with the other to. This is horrible!

I feel for you. I am 9 days post surgery on C6/C7 fusion and did great after the procedure, until 5 days later. Terrible pain and aching between the shoulder blades and mostly in the left shoulder blade. It takes my breath away if I move the wrong way. Don't know if I can wait for my 2 week post op appt., which is in 5 days. I will be calling the surgeon tomorrow. The is horrible and if I knew this could happen, I would not have had this 3rd neck surgery! The first 2 were nothing like this at all and I never had any spasms.

Hi,

i had a c5 and 6 acdc just 4 weeks ago. I am still having a great deal of pain in my right shoulder, and scapula, and sometimes up my neck. The pain, and numbness I had in my arm from the trapped nerve has gone, and went immediately after my op.

i do feel very down because of the pain ma'am now experiencing, but am marrying hard to be positive, I am attending a physio, excellent, and great support. I use a not pack which does help, an I'd am really trying to listen to my body, and rest for 30 mins every hour, by resting my head on its side with heat. I am lucky at the moment as I do not have to be at work. To be honest I'm sure I wouldn't be able to. Especially on computers!.

it has been good reading the blogs, and thoughts of people. I want to stay positive, and learn as much as I can. I don't feel I was fully prepared for the  pain following surgery,. I just hope all this is going t be worth it. I am an artist, and need to paint!. Can't at the moment or for a while I believe.

 

I had three discs tended: anterior discectomy and fusion.  I think they are 3,4 and 5.  My left trap by my shoulder blade is awful awful.  At times it feels someone is stabbing me.  The inflammation is so bad my shirt rubs the skin and it hurts.  Anyways, what I believe:  My new neck does not like my old posture below it.  I can raise my left arm and press it into a door jam and the pain goes right away unless I wait too long.   I'm hoping the doc will get me into rehab soon so I can learn how to handle this change that my muscle doesn't like.

I have had this pain that your talking about ever since my surgery in 2001 I had C4 C5 C6 done with bone fusion. Exactly what you are saying it stopped the base of neck pain but created other pain

 Maybe someone can offer me some advise I had C5-C6 fusion with plate 5-2011 surgery went very well.  I still have 2 bulging discs above and below the plate but NS say they are ok,until this time last yr I had numbness in my pinky and ring finger on right hand again this was also the same symptom as the first surgery, I went back to NS and had a Nerve root fixed at C8 between C7-T1 this was 16 weeks ago. I'm still having muscle pain. I can't sit very long,standing I get bad pain. this all started about a month ago when I returned to work. The NS has sent me to Physical Therapy and Pain specialist for trigger point injections they work only for a few days til I go back to work I'm a Medical Asst. so I do various things from phone calls to seeing pt's and work front desk which included sliding a glass window open and close. The easiest way to explain the pain place a rubber band around you thumbs and pull apart this is how my neck,shoulders feel with pain into the arms. I come home from work in tears. This is just not me and I don't know what else to do or where to go....

I had the same surgery 4 weeks ago. At about 2 weeks post-op, I had the pain that you describe. It came and went with increase of activity and just the healing process. The swelling and pain would even switch sides from day to day. Take your muscle relaxers!!!!!!! Be patient . It gets better!!!!

It's been one year!  Neck/cervical fusion on four discs, cages with donor "goo" inserted where the normal stuff had ruptured or blown out, can't remember the name of the surgery, all in my neck.  I have a metal plate with 8 screws on my neck spine.  Now, still, one year later, the BURNING pain between my shoulder blades is horrible, especially when the weather changes, and right now, here in Florida, October 2013, it's trying to become cooler but, hasn't happened yet  :(   Anyway, I do believe the positions they put one in on the operating table have caused this new "between the shoulder blades pain, along the spine." 

I see a pain management doctor and am either buzzing around but, still hurting, or taking a muscle relaxer and conking out, tired, can't do a thing except nap or go on to bed.  Three (3) doctors have told me the pain can continue for up to TWO years.  Great.  All of this medication though, I can not get out and do a thing, socialize, shop, nothing when it is burning between my shoulder blades, thus, now there is DEPRESSION ...  It is a viscous (sp?) circle -- pain, medication, pain, medication ...

I do not know what to do anymore.  I sit at home and do the daily chores which take all day long to do.  I do use Lidoderm Patches, which help a tiny bit.  I guess I'll try the ice packs and then switch to heat but, that's not helping me get out and about. 

Oh, by the way, the neck/cervical surgery DID get rid of the burning neck pain, which went clear up into my head and caused horrible migraine-like headaches!  Good job, Doc!  PT, I didn't go but for one day -- the guy was brutal and it hurt like the dickens and I was already in enough pain. 

I hope it isn't lung "C", the bad word.  I used to smoke like the ole' chimney.  I do have a nodule on my lungs and am afraid to go see about THAT.  I pray a lot.  Maybe God will answer my prayers one day to feel better, heal me.  If it is the bad "C" word, I am ready to go Home ... I won't have chemo, radiation, biopsies, or another surgery.  I am 62 and ready to just go. 

I hope for the best for all of you, and myself.

Hello Charlotte,I just had this exact surgery 1 week ago, and I was just googling all the symptoms I currently have post surgery. Some of the pain is so bad I just want to make sure it's normal. Lol. I have the lump in my throat that makes it hard to breathe at night and starts to give me great anxiety. I haven't slept more than 1-1/2 to 2 hours at a time since surgery, I hate all these meds but I need the for now. I'm also having the pain between my shoulder blades and it was explained to me by my surgeon , who is wonderful, that because of the amount of damage to the disc, and the size of the fracture of the disc, he had significantly more precise worm to do to remove it as it was pushing directly on my spinal cord. The fractured part of the disc actually punctured my spinal cord so he had to repair that's well. It's very frustrating. I hope all turns out week for us! I know It will. Relief is in sight.
I'm 49 with 2 children...
Cindy

i had surgery may 21/2014 and i have more pain now than before the back of my neck an between my shoulder blades/but thats because the surgery wasn/t sucessful says my nuero/i still go numb in my legs cant lay flat i lose my breath headaces and from all the people on here complaining of the same problems how can a dr, say he dont know,he dont want to say your gonna have to get a corrective surgery/i had the infusion c5/6 c6/7 an i having alot of complications/but at least my dr/ said the surgery didnt do the job

Just had the exact surgery july 6th and having same pain you described. Did the physical therapy work? I wasnt given any physical therapy recommendations from my doctor. If your therapy worked, what exercises helped you?
Thanks, Marsha

I have had the surgery as well and am experiencing the same pain I'm 4weeks post I shall ask my nuerosurgeon when I go on 28/10 and let you know, the pain is excruciating I take panadol and ant inflammatory to no help!!!!!