Post cervical spine surgery pain

I had a cervical/spine fusion on 10-31-08. I was given no choice but to have surgery. My disc herniation was very large and ready to rupture. I had high hopes of feeling better almost immediately, but this did not happen for me. It has been 4 weeks post-op and I am still having the same problems as before. The only difference I can see is that I don't have the numbness in my left hand anymore. However, I still have the the throbbing and aching down my left shoulder and arm to just below the elbow. I also have new pain I didn't have before the surgery between the shoulder blades just below the neck Some numbness in my right arm now as well. My voice is rough and hoarse and comes and goes. It is very frustrating that you go through surgery and still feel like you are no better off than you were before. I am on 4 medications to try and help with my pain. 1 pain medication, 1 muscle relaxant and 2 medications for nerve damage. I play the piano and sing and I am also a nurse. I can empathize with all who have shared their stories, but especially the bass player because of my love for music I know how frustrating it can be not to be able to play. Hopefully we will all start feeling results soon.

God Bless!

I just had the surgery 2 weeks ago. I had 2 disk removed and and then they put other bine in and then fused togeather. c-4--c-7 .I am actually doing great. I am mad at myself for waiting so long for the surgery. Before the surgery I could not sit for longer than 10 min and I had left arm pain and numbness in my left arem at all times. That has all went away 100%. It was gone the day of the surgery. I do have pain now in the right shoulder and in between the upper shoulders in my back but I thunk that may be for over compincating. Sleeping is difficult but you can't do anything else so who really carees if you sleep in 2-3 hrs at a time. The neck brace is a pain but for me I feel safe with it on. I recommened asking lots of questions for post surgery.

I had Anterior Cervical Fusion 5/2000 C567, initially had 2 ruptures with Spinal Cord impingment. Fusion was successful, initial pain relief was great after suffering 9 days waiting for a diagnosis and surgery. I went back to work full time 6 mos. post surgery, did Prolotherapy and all kinds of alternative treatment hoping for pain relief. 2003 finally had to stop working, today pain symptoms continue, sleep uncomfortable, have numbness and nerve damage both legs. Occasional numbness of arms but chronic pain neck, shoulders and bicep area. When our spine is fused the discs above and below are compromised because the spine no longer moves the way it should. Therefore, movements we make like reaching, bending, stretching most times cause spasm and pain. Its hard to know WHAT I did to flare symptoms. After years of treatments and Medical evaluations, the concensus is the Fusion was a success! I can only say you learn how to live and move differently, try and keep a positive attitude, do Physical Therapy regimen everyday, the Pool has become my best friend. Basically, you learn to live with the pain but this surgery definitely changes your life.
Keep a POSITIVE ATTITUDE and Respect your limitations!

IN 1992 I HAD CERVICAL DISC SURGERY DUE TO AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT. I WENT THROUGH THERAPY AND A HOST OF DOCTORS WITH NO RELIEF. I JUST LIVED WITH THE PAIN THINKING THAT ONCE YOU HAVE SPINE SURGERY THATS IT. A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, I WAS THROWN FROM A GOLF CART (ACCIDENTALLY) AND DID'NT GO TO THE DOCTOR. MY NECK AND HEAD PAIN WAS UNBERABLE. IN MAY 2008 I WENT TO A PAIN MANAGEMENT/SPORTS MED DOCTOR AND HE SENT ME TO HAVE A STAND UP MRI WHICH REVEALED HERNIATION AT C 5-6 WITH VERY LARGE BONE SPURS AND ALSO AT C 6-7 WHICH IS WHERE THE 1992 SURGERY LOCATION WAS. I WENT BACK TO THE SAME SURGEON AND HE SAID THAT MY ORIGINAL FUSION NEVER DID FUSE AND IT HAD BEEN 16 YEARS. HE DID THE SURGERY AUG 14 2008 ANTERIOR CERVICAL DISKETOMY, OSTEOPHYTECTOMY BILATERAL FORAMINOTOMY AT C 5-6 AND C 6-7 TITANIUM PLATE WITH 6 SCREWS. NO COLLAR. I HAVE HAD CONSTANT PAIN AND UNBERABLE MUSCLE SPASMS SINCE. I WENT BACK TO WORK 10 DAYS AFTER SURGERY. I OWN A FLORIST AND I HAD NO CHOICE. BUT, DOCTOR DID SAY THAT I COULD RESUME NORMAL ACTIVITIES WITHIN TWO WEEKS AFTER SURGERY THATS CRAZY. I HAVE CONTINUED TO GO TO MY PAIN MANAGEMENT DR. I AM TAKING SKELAXIN AND PERCOCET 7.5 WITH NO RELIEF FROM EITHER WE HAVE TRIED LYRICA AND CYMBALTA AND NO CHANGE WITH EITHER ONE. BOTH DOCTORS SAY THAT IT WILL TAKE ABOUT A YEAR. TOTAL MISERY

I had cervical fusion in 2003 at C4-C5-C6, and for several months afterward, I experienced the electrical shock pain everyone has been describing, but finally it stopped. It was pretty scary and not something I experienced prior to surgery. I had the impression it was my spinal cord and nerves "waking up" after being severely compressed for years.

I was almost paralyzed before surgery and the surgery helped a lot, but not completely. Now I still experience some problems with my neck, but my lumbar spine will soon require surgery due to severe spinal stenosis at L3-L4 and other problems. Afterward, maybe I will need more neck surgery. I've been on Disability since before the neck surgery, so thank goodness I don't have to worry about going back to work after surgery.

It took me a full year-and-a-half to regain strength in my arms and motor control in my hands, but neurological tests show I still have a spinal cord problem originating in my neck, and another problem originating in my back. I would recommend the neck surgery even though I am not fully "cured," because otherwise I would be in a wheelchair. Now I hope the back surgery will have equal "success" and will allow me to perform routine daily activities that are currently too painful to do.

I'm a 34yr old female. I had a cervical fusion back in 1/07 originally for neck pain and numbness at C7. Pain started back almost exactly 2 yrs later Nov/08. Although it had already started bothering me again, I had a car accident 11/08 that I'm sure made it worse. Also, fractured sternum. Recent surgery was done 12/08 at C5 C6 C7. A titanium plate, 5 screws, and donor bone was used. I also have bone spurs and spinal stenosis. Was improving slowly but as of 12/31 started getting worse. Was hoping would be like first surgery which absolutely worked! I'm getting very discouraged, having chronic neck pain, tenderness, a popping sound in my neck sometimes, right and rarely left arm pain (although not severe like before surgery), still wearing soft neck collar, still not resting, and still having to take pain meds, steroids, and muscle relaxers daily. I do absolutly nothing in order to insure I will not cause any more pain.....going to have another MRI this coming Monday, praying everything fine, but need answers as to why still in so much pain. %-) Is this normal for a lot of people?

Yes it sounds normal. I had ACDF done 10-30-08 and you sound like your experiencing exactly what I did. The good news is the cracking or popping sounds will go away and the pains will go away but sometimes come back for no reason. Your car accident was most assuredly the culprit that made your neck worse. That is what did mine in also. I still am on muscle relaxers and pain killers but not as many as I started with. My NS still wants me on them since I am still feeling pain.

Feel free to ask any questions you may have. Your only 3 weeks out and you have a few things to work through.

Rob

...then. watch and see if it sort of 'reverses' itself. What I mean is this: With my first surgery 5 years ago, I had an accident that brought on the pain suddenly and severely. C 5-6 was blown out and C 6-7 was bulging. After being in a soft collar for 2 months, it was like a miracle how much better I felt. Then, about 3 years in, I started having 'neck pain'. Things began innocently enough...like strain from sitting at the computer for too long. Or from lifting something a little heavier than I should. I went to work stocking shelves at Walmart and suddenly things accelerated. I was also having problems with my right knee and left elbow (and gall bladder problems at the same time). So I took off work to get it all taken care of. The knee was confusing, some wear from the years that I was over weight wearing down the underside of the knee cap, but not enough to warrent the pain I was feeling. The elbow? Didn't seem to have anything wrong with it! My doc, with a look at MRI and Xray and a few squeezes said, 'that's not mucsle, or joint...that's nerve! It's from your neck'. Then my new adventure in 'neck surgery' began. Funny thing, after having the most severe pain in both knew and elbow (even if someone brushed a piece of silk fabric on my elbow it felt like when you whack your elbow on a sharp corner!). It gradually went away! Then, other things started to hurt....and then go away. what was happening was, everythign was sort of 'deadening'. I was told that if I didn't have the surgery, I might not get any feeling back! This was affecting my strength and agility in my arms, hands, legs...everything. It was pretty scary.
I know this is a long story, but now I've had the surgery, OH< before I did that I had 3 rounds of the facet blocks and the other shots they put into your spine. The last one scared me, cuz it took me from numb BACK to the 'pain'. So, now, here I am, starting to heal, (two weeks post surgery), and I keep getting those killer stabbing pains right at the base of my neck/back that feels like someone is jabbing a red hot knitting needle into my spine. I hadn't felt that in 2 years. In other words, I am reversing the things I went through before. The good news is, every day, some feeling is coming back. First it might be a tingle, or a warmth, or even a pain...but it is slowly undoing it'self. Like the nerves are waking up. I have no idea if they will come back all the way or not. I might be stuck with PAIN for all I know. That scares me, but the fact that I was dropping things and walking around in a fog of either pain or doped existance wasn't acceptable. For those who seem to have problems with sleeping, get one of those bed lounging pillows for watcing TV in bed, add another smaller pillow at the top and sleep reclined. I put another pillow onmy chest and two small ones one each side to rest my elbows on. I sleep fine.
Oh, and do take it easy. I've had some days I feel so good, I decide to try to go tot he store with my daughter, then I end up losing the whole next day to meds and bed. :-(

Good luck to all. Remember, you did a lot of damage getting those nerves all smashed...let them take a while to heal.

Best wishes
Suzi

Guest wrote:

OK I am not recommending that you folks try this at home. I am a 50 yr old male. I train daily with running/or elyptical for 20 minutes then lift weights for one hour. I am 6' 1" at 220 lbs. I had c4-c5 fused with bone and plate and two screws. I had surgery six days ago. The disc was basically exploded and lodged against the cord. The pain was absolutely excruciating. I am not one to rest. I am too much of a stress hound if I don't work out. I wore the brace for one day. I went to the gym after three days. I went today with my wife (sixth day). I lifted very heavy and used perfect form. Being sure not to involve any neck movement. I do have pain but am down to 2-3 number 5 percocet. I have been back to work as a prison counselor for 2 days. I read on the internet spine-health.com/topics/surg/overview/cervical/cerv07.html#5
about braces one level is 6 weeks, multi level about 12. Some surgeons are using them less or not at all. The braces are used mostly for pain control. Yes I hurt, but not like what I have read. I have recovered from multiple knee surgeries and now this. I always get right back to exercise as soon as I can tolerate it. My c4-c5 location in my neck, after much research is not really effected by chest and lower back, and leg exercise. Of course I don't squat, but use leg extensions and leg curls. I have done chest, back, triceps and biceps with legs daily now for three days. If I am careful of the weight and position of my head I have no problem. I would recommend as much exercise as you can tolerate. This has always helped me. I am not saying you should pursue stupidity if you are a non athlete, but really I have had many sport related injuries. Without any doubt I have only benefited from exercise. You can disagree or make any joke you want to. I am active and plan to stay that way. Stronger and flexible muscle will always prevent or at least make any cervical pain less. If you have corrected your injury, don't be afraid to walk with a couple of five or ten pound weights in your hand. You won't die, but you will get better faster

I totally agree, I am 47 years old and had the surgery 3-4 years ago. Everyone needs to keep in mind that after the surgery, you were not doing anything "normal" for at least 6 weeks. There will be pain and stiffness, but all those REHAB exercises your doctor and therapist had you doing, you must continue to do. It is a slow process to regain even part of the strength you once had, but slowly buiild yourself back up. The pain will come and go. I've been blessed that my pain is not too rough on me. I lift weights (gradually increasing), walk as much as possible, play basketball to get some coordination back, try to maintain good posture :) exercise or stretch as much as possible... but most of all I trust in my ability to get better, pray and know that it could have been a lot worse. Don't keep numbing yourself with those pain pills, rebuild what you had and the pain may decrease. Do your best, trust yourself and allow your body to heal itself.

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Pain Following Cervical Spine Surgery

What medications are good for someone who is in agony from cervical neck pain? Just wondering what helps the numbness, pinching, stabbing, no sleep? Or something to help take edge off?