SEVERE NECK/SHOULDER PAIN 6 MONTHS POST OP CERVICAL DISECTOMY

Hello -- my name is D--I am 59 and at age 55 had a c5-6 fusion with plated -- surgery went well -- also removed a lg. spur that had not shown on the MRI-- about once a yr. post surgery Ihave a huge relapse with moderate shoulder and left arm pain -- lots of shocks in the facial area. Most months are good-- hard to tell what sets them off though -- my husband noted all 3 set-backs have been in April-- perhaps overdone exercise or gardening in the good weather-- so hard to live in constant fear of a set-back -- each time for the 1st 2 set- backs i had a MRI proving all is in place -- have had 1 trigger point -- lots of home massages with a nelectric massager only gives temp.relief. Am taking 800 Ibuprofen 3 times a day -- hard on stomach and have to take a protecter for that as well now !! I am due to go overseas for 2 wks. May 1st and am scared I will have to cancel or go feeling like the devil.. Most days are good but it is a challenge to live with -- my advice to anyone is do not put this off if needed --- I waited 8 yrs. going to pain mngs. therapists etc. and did NOT realize in the end it JUST needs to be corrected anyway-- I think it was harder on me at 55 rather than 48 and bone spurs had more time to form creating yet another issue. I pray hard for all the that have written in -- I am able to manage the house - cooking etc. and 3 dogs -- church but it is ALWAYS in the nagging corner -- best ot you > D

hello my name is Randy,I have had the exact same surgery, I have the same symptoms as you have to the letter,I am on oxyneo-IB prophen-and a drug called Lyrica,all these drugs I take daily and could not get through the day without them,my pain gets severe with activity and it seems like the more activity,the more severe,the Lyrica seems to help with some of the nerve pain at night although I still don 't and have'nt had a sleep since the day I was injured, post surgery I was ok for a short while and the numbness and shooting pain has decreased but at times is still there,I suffer from severe headaches weekly and have yet to get relief at this time for this,I have ended up in the hospital where they give me toridol and gravel shots,helps till the next morn but will come back if it wants to,I wish I could give you some relief to the issues you have but unfortunately I am in the same boat as you,I wish you all the best and God bless....Randy K

janetcole49 wrote:

asbrde wrote:

My heart goes out to each and everyone one of you. Back in 12/04 I had my first cervical discectomy and fusion on c6/7. I came out of the surgery okay with my neck but had lost my voice. A few months later an ENT determined that my right vocal cord had been paralyzed during the surgery. After many months of speech therapy I got most of my voice back, even though my right vocal cord will never work again, my left is doing the job of both. About 6 months after my first surgery I had started to experience pain in my neck again. When they did tests they realized my disc above the first one had now gone, also pinching a nerve on the left, and had to be operated on. That surgery was in 5/06. After that surgery I had no relief of pain ever. A year and a half later they finally figured out why, the fusion never took. So here comes a third surgery in 4/08 to fuse c5/6 again. Ever since that surgery I have had no relief in my neck and now my left shoulder and arm are also very painful. I been suspended from PT until I am checked out by my Nuero and Ortho. I am on a variety of pain meds, sleep meds and anti-depressants. Before all this I was a very active mother of three who worked full time since the age of 16, 30 years! I was fired from my last job for having to be out from the third surgery. When does this all end? Is there a light at the end of the tunnel? Please, anyone who has experienced any or all of what I have please comment. It does help quite a bit to know I am not alone. Thanks and God bless!

i feel sorry for anyone who has had this neck fusion, iam karen and this is my awful story!! started to have neck pain when i was about 41 then stupid doctors wouldnt send me for mri just kept saying stupid c**p like oh your neck hurts cuz you have a baby and you hold him , yes that was true however the jerk should still send me for test so a year of walking arouind in neck pain finally he sent me for mri and guess what? yep you guess it!! a herniated disc so they just said oh alot of people have that and after awhile i ruptured and ended in the hospital, however 7 months later i had a 2nd neck fusion oh but this time i lost my voice!! couldnt speak for 7 months, and they didnt seem to even care, just said oh... iam sure it will come back, but belive me when you have a 3 year old at home at the time its horrible not to been able to talk, then again about less then 2 years later i ended up with a 3rd neck fusion, this diffrent doc went through the back of my neck well that was the biggest nightmare of my life i went 7 years trying to get a new doc to help me, all these so called great docs just seem to think its all in a persons head, 1st of all i am really really strong to have been through all this and not shot my self really!!! then about 2 years ago my back got bad all from my neck being so weak had a big back surgery, then 6 months ago had another but 4th cervical fusion it was a c4-7 acdf iam still hear to say i am in the worst pain of my life!!! how on earth can this happen to any of us?????????????? if you are like me and still in pain i feel for you, oh how i feel for you never in a millon years did i think i would end up like this and the doc will just say .. i dont no why your still in pain acts as though iam nuts!!! really makes me so mad sad you name it!! i just dont get how some docs are still operating if so many of us are left in such pain, i remember thinking oh please god help me please!! i use to wish so much i could win a lottery and start to help people who were left like me in horrible pain, so all you folks out there if ever ya need a friend thats going through neck or back fusion pain please ***this post is edited by moderator *** *** web addresses not allowed*** Please read our Terms of Use

Oh my gosh so glad I found you all. I am in the same position and don't know what to do. Im so scared that this is what the rest of my life is going to be like. Im only 41.

Kat10366 wrote:

GILMORE06 wrote:

I AM 6 MONTHS POST OP ANTERIOR CERVICAL DISECTOMY WITH FUSION AT C5/6 6/7. I WENT THROUGH 2 YEARS OF PAIN MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES TRYING TO AVOID SURGERY, BUT I HAD A HERNIATED DISC TOUCHING MY SPINAL CORD AND 1 BULGING RIGHT BELOW IT, ALSO HAVE DDD THROUGHOUT SPINE. ALL IN ALL, I GUESS I NEEDED THE SURGERY BECAUSE OF THE HERNIATION, BUT I HAVE WORSE NECK & SHOULDER MUSCLE PAIN THAN BEFORE. THE PAIN RETURNED ABOUT 6 WKS AFTER SURGERY. I HAVE STABBING PAIN BETWEEN MY SHOULDER BLADES AND SEVERE MUSCLE SPASMS AND PAIN FROM THE BASE OF MY SKULL THROUGH MY SHOULDER AND DOWN INTO MY RIGHT ARM TO MY ELBOW. WHEN I STRETCH, IT FEELS LIKE I AM SEPERATING MY SPINE AND I HAVE INTENSE PAIN WHEN RETRACTING FROM THE STRETCH. MOVING MY HEAD IN ANY WAY SENDS SHARP PAINS THROUGH MY NECK, SHOULDERS AND IN THE CENTER OF MY SHOULDER BLADES. I HAVE BEEN TO 6 WKS OF PHYSICAL THERAPY, 2 DIFFERENT MASSAGE THERAPISTS, HAD ABOUT 50 TRIGGER POINT INJECTIONS, SOME EVEN WHILE ON THE MASSAGE THERAPISTS TABLE. I CAN'T SLEEP FOR MORE THAN A COUPLE OF HOURS AT A TIME EVEN WITH SLEEPING PILLS. I AM AT WHITS END. MY POST OP XRAYS AND MRI LOOK FINE ACCORDING TO MY NEURO AND PAIN DR. THE ONLY THING MRI SHOWS IS A BOOMERANG SHAPE IN MY NECK WHERE THE TITANIUM PLATE IS. HE SAID THAT SHOULD BE A SMOOTH CURVATURE, NOT A HUMP, BUT CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THAT AND NOT EVEN SURE THAT IS CAUSING PROBLEM. I AM AN ACTIVE 35 YR OLD WOMAN WHO'S QUALITY OF LIFE IS DETERIORATING. I WORK 40+ HRS A WEEK, AM VERY ACTIVE IN CHURCH ACTIVITIES, KEEP UP WITH 2 TEENAGE BOYS AND BASEBALL SCHEDULES, HAVE HORSES AND ENJOY DOING OUTDOOR THINGS, BUT I AM IN SEVERE PAIN 24/7 AND SEE NO END IN SIGHT. DR IS OUT OF SUGGESTIONS. ANYONE ELSE EXPERIENCED THE SAME AND GOTTEN BETTER? I AM TRYING TO KEEP MY HEAD UP AND A SMILE ON MY FACE. THE LORD IS GIVING ME THE ONLY STRENGHTH I HAVE. THANKS FOR ANY REPLY!

Hi. I don't know how often this gets looked at but.... I too had the same surgery 3 years ago. It worked very well for me. About a year ago I got the pain inbetween my shoulder blades. It is slowly progressed now to my right shoulder! My surgery was on the left side of my neck if that makes a difference. So the pain is now going down my right arm. This is rather frustrating. I too get that electrical shock feeling at times. What I wonder is after you have a cervical fusion do you not have any neck muscles anymore? Do you know. That I cannot lay my head back in a shampoo bowl to get my hair washed cause the pressure leaning back hurts so bad! That really sucks. Then on another hand. I don't even want to complain about anything to my husband of pain. Because the surgery should of been a cure. Than like someone says ,, neurologist takes MRI or x ray and everything looks fine yet you have all this pain but they don't want to prescribe RX for pain anymore because the surgery should have fixed the problem ,, so now what?

Kat ---2yrs out acdf did well for 18 month then-- Bam neck but mainly right shoulder ---went back xray says fine fused 100% -however mri showed c5 (which is fused) a mid cord compression and c5 nerve is compressed but not bad enough to risk revision surgery. Mri shows a mild indentement on spinal cord ---which I guess affect shoulder. i know he (doc) doesnt want to give RX EITHER SAYS NOT MUCH HELP FROM NERVE PAIN --UGHHH

Just want the pai to stop!! Help

 

Dear asbrde,



You have had autoimmune brachial plexitis all along. That is why so many patients who have been provided spinal surgery in those areas do not improve, but often get worse, after spinal surgery. Since the ongoing concept is that herniated spinal discs cause all the neurological problems in the limbs, most people receive spinal surgery if they hurt long enough bad enough since no one else has an alternative explanation for a cause. Since the "same underlying" autoimmune disease also causes the spine arthritis the scene, so to speak, is set for much too much spinal surgery to be accomplished. Another thing: MRI's do not have the resolution to determine damage to the neurological tissues: spinal cord or nerve roots, so only the concomitant arthritic changes to the bones and cartilage is used to make a diagnosis. Most, or a good percentage of people who have neurological symptoms and signs in other extremities: arms or legs, at least in their medical histories: that indicates a systemic disease process is ongoing often in a waxing and waning fashion since it is caused by an infectious process that stimulates the autoimmune disorder in a waxing and waning fashion. If a person, or someone in their family, is the harboring individual, well, a person's problem may be chronic.

I am 57 yrs young and just had c4-c7 work done Oct. 2012, three weeks later still a little numbness in my thumb n index finger, kinda hard swallowing. did you have therapy after surgery? If so how long?

Im in the same boat. I had a fushion at c5 c6 c7. the fushion didn't take at the upper levels. after a year of pain my doctor did a C.T. and found that the fushion didnt take. I'm going to have a post exterior fushion. the success rate is very high to relieve the pain. They will go in the back my neck and put in more rods and screws. Hope this helps.

hi im louise from London England. I had a c5/6 discosectomy 7 weeks ago.
initially i had compresssion under left arm severe shoulder neck pain and numb arm fingers left arm
after thesurgery all this went i was very happy. after 4 weeks i felt great and returned to work. full time desk job. after 2 weeks travelleing on trains and working i was back off work again wth pain between my shouder blades, burning sensation, pain in neck, slight head pain both sides, slight on off numbness to both arms. I was given mo recovery plan, physio etc after i left hospital. and basical;y was left on m own to get better. i am worried now i have damaged my neck by going back to work too early. my job involves some light lifting and very repetive actions. i feel worse now than before the surgery as now my whole back aches including lumba which never was a problem previously. i dont know what to do.

To all,

Reading this post is a horrible nightmare.  I am 32 years old, an attorney, and an avid surfer who up unitl last year lived an extremely active lifestyle.  But I have been dealing with a ruptured disc C 4-5, ddd, and misalignment in my upper cervical spine.  There was no traumatic injury and have been told it may be the result of poor posture or work station.  I have tried almost all conservative therapies I have found (i.e. Chiro, PT, Traction, Decrompression on a DRX machine, Accupunture, Massage).  I have consulted with 4 different surgeons and they all say I need a neck fusion.  

I do not know what to do.  I cannot work, surf, I am depressed, it is affecting my social life and I am having a hard time seeing myself marrying my girlfriend who I love dearly, and who has been through this with me for the past year.  I am lost...and afraid of what my future holds.  I only found this site after researching neck fusion with a piece of my hip bone - which is what the latest surgeon suggested. 

My questions are: Is there any update here from anyone? Any good news?  Is anyone doing any better?  To all that had fusions, would you do it again?  What am I supposed to do?

Lost....

 

 

 

I also live with the same 24/7 pain and also working 50 hours a week,I take a lot of pain killers and try to stay
High with meds most of the time,I'm a 43 year old father of 2 and had surgery a year ago,I m feeling better
Burning between the shoulder blades and back of my neck hasn't stopped,I was in great shape and have gained 15lbs
feel very sluggish......I lay at bed at night and feel completely exhausted.....Don't give up just yet I believe one day we could
all put this behind us,we will find a solution or something that works...God Bless...your new friend
Nick L

hey my dear friend,,IT SOUND LIKE ME ,,,, i have all the simptoms only i didn not had surgery,,i need to tho,,i have 3 herniated disc 1 is about to rapture ,lost of a curve in my spine + plus all that pain in my neck,back of my head and shoulders,,i am not sleeping weel for about a 6 months now,,,like u said even the pills are not helping,,i use a lot of biofreeze it helps for moments but still hurtsDAYS////NIGHTS don't matter,,TO MAKE IT WORSE i don't have a helth insurance nor can i afford one :( like u self dealing with pre teen and a teenager their school my work of 45 hours week . MY JOB doesn't help eaither ( hairstylist ) ,,,and NO BODY NO BODYYY understands me when i am in pain ,,there is days that i can't move my body for 2 days :( and only thing i do everyday is like u say put a smile get up ad pray it doesn't hurt again :( ui hope u feel better soon and i definately understand all the pain you go thru since i am in the same situation :( have a blessed day my dear

i am a 38 year female,,a hairstylist,,and i do have same issues as you, pain in the neck, back of my head ,shoulders,and bin taking a lot of pain kilers ,nothing really helps,,i tried spinal decompression ,,adjustment,,acupuncture,,nothing helps,,i am depressed since i am not sleeping at night ,,it does affect my social life too, no body understand my pain not even my husband ,,,i am really afraid for my future,,,,i don't do things that i used to do :( ,i sleep only 2 hours max at the time ,i was active ,unfortunately not any more ,,i hope all goes well with you ! i hope you find some help,,,honestly only thing that helps me a little bit is BIOFREEZE GEL ,,,but u supposed to used only every 4 hours unfortunately i use it evry hour :(

I YOU ARE NOT ALONE..I HAD A ACDF SURGERY C5-7 WITH PARTIAL CORPECTOMY ON JUNE 18th...5 MONTHS OF PHYSICAL THERAPY....STILL HURTING IN NECK AND SHOULDERS BURNING AND CAN ONLY DO 15 MINUTES OF ACTIVITY TOTALLY OUT OF BREATH..