Re: Pain above fusion before and after rod removal

[Guest guest]

Hi ...

I could be wrong, but I think that arm pain often comes from problems

in the cervical spine. Have you mentioned it to your surgeon?

By the way, I was surprised to read that you had Harrington rods

implanted 13 years ago. At that time, C-D instrumentation was widely

available, and most surgeons had stopped using Harrington hardware.

--

> I had a spinal fusion from t4 to l3 13 years ago. For the past year

I have had tremendous

> pain above my fusion. The pain is on both side of my back but worse

on the side with my

> rib hump. My curve is a complete s curve.

>

> On June 4th I had my 2 haqrrington rods removed. Now I am getting

the same pain back

> in my upper back and shoulders. The pain has been getting worse

every since the surgery.

> It shoot to my elbow and pinky finger as the day goes on. All my

upper back and shoulder

> muscles are in knots and have been for a about a year.

[Guest guest]

That is very interesting about the rods. I had two rods that were 14

inches long to control an s curve.

I believe at the time of surgery my top curve was 70 and the bottom was

55. I remember at the time I went to Dupont in Delaware for an opinion

and they told me I would be in a cast for 6 months. Then I found Dr.

Segal at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center. He suggested the two

harrington rods for the fusion. I wonder why I was told this would be

best for me at the time.

Sorry to rant a bit.

I just had the rods removed by the same doc that put them in. We were

hoping that this would cure some of the pain in my scapular region.

Well, the pain is back. So I am kind of back to square one.

Thanks for listening and if you have any more advise I would love to

hear it.

Matt

On Jul 20, 2004, at 2:54 PM, Racine wrote:

> Hi ...

>

> I could be wrong, but I think that arm pain often comes from problems

> in the cervical spine.  Have you mentioned it to your surgeon?

>

> By the way, I was surprised to read that you had Harrington rods

> implanted 13 years ago.  At that time, C-D instrumentation was widely

> available, and most surgeons had stopped using Harrington hardware.

>

> --

>

>

> > I had a spinal fusion from t4 to l3 13 years ago. For the past year

> I have had tremendous

> > pain above my fusion.  The pain is on both side of my back but worse

> on the side with my

> > rib hump.  My curve is a complete s curve. 

> >

> > On June 4th I had my 2 haqrrington rods removed.  Now I am getting

> the same pain back

> > in my upper back and shoulders. The pain has been getting worse

> every since the surgery.

> > It shoot to my elbow and pinky finger as the day goes on.  All my

> upper back and shoulder

> > muscles are in knots and have been for a about a year.

>

>

>

>

> Support for scoliosis-surgery veterans with Harrington Rod

> Malalignment Syndrome. Not medical advice. Group does not control ads

> or endorse any advertised products.

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

, it might be helpful to see a surgeon with considerable flatback

revision experience for evaluation. You may have flatback syndrome.

(Sorry, but I don't feel real confindent in any guy who actually put in

Harrington rods 13 years ago!)

I agree with that your neck may have issues.

Sharon

Re: Re: Pain above fusion before and after rod

removal

That is very interesting about the rods. I had two rods that were 14

inches long to control an s curve.

I believe at the time of surgery my top curve was 70 and the bottom was

55. I remember at the time I went to Dupont in Delaware for an opinion

and they told me I would be in a cast for 6 months. Then I found Dr.

Segal at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center. He suggested the two

harrington rods for the fusion. I wonder why I was told this would be

best for me at the time.

Sorry to rant a bit.

I just had the rods removed by the same doc that put them in. We were

hoping that this would cure some of the pain in my scapular region.

Well, the pain is back. So I am kind of back to square one.

Thanks for listening and if you have any more advise I would love to

hear it.

Matt

On Jul 20, 2004, at 2:54 PM, Racine wrote:

> Hi ...

>

> I could be wrong, but I think that arm pain often comes from problems

> in the cervical spine. Have you mentioned it to your surgeon?

>

> By the way, I was surprised to read that you had Harrington rods

> implanted 13 years ago. At that time, C-D instrumentation was widely

> available, and most surgeons had stopped using Harrington hardware.

>

> --

>

>

> > I had a spinal fusion from t4 to l3 13 years ago. For the past year

> I have had tremendous

> > pain above my fusion. The pain is on both side of my back but worse

> on the side with my

> > rib hump. My curve is a complete s curve.

> >

> > On June 4th I had my 2 haqrrington rods removed. Now I am getting

> the same pain back

> > in my upper back and shoulders. The pain has been getting worse

> every since the surgery.

> > It shoot to my elbow and pinky finger as the day goes on. All my

> upper back and shoulder

> > muscles are in knots and have been for a about a year.

>

>

>

>

> Support for scoliosis-surgery veterans with Harrington Rod

> Malalignment Syndrome. Not medical advice. Group does not control ads

> or endorse any advertised products.

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks all for you great advice!

Anyone know of or reccomend any specialists in the mid-atlantic or northeast? I

am in

eastern PA and willing to travel.

Thanks again.

Matt

[Guest guest]

,

I just wanted to reiterate what Elissa has said about massage. My doctor

recently told me " not to go out and get a massage " ! He was afraid that some

spa masseur would actually damage my fragile spine. So, as Elissa said, first

get a referral for P.T. and then accept massage therapy ONLY from a PHYSICAL

THERAPIST, OK? You may still get great relief;; just don't full around with

these backs!

Sincerely,

Carole M. (the elder)

[Guest guest]

Hi and

Sorry to butt in here but I have been reading your messages and I too had

Harrington Rods put in, in 1989 in the UK, I have been having awful pain from

the donor site (left bum bit!), the last year or more I have been experiencing

Lumbar Pain that makes me bend over when I get up from the sofa or chair, takes

me a few seconds and then I start to straighten.

I have had many pains all around this area since the operation in 1989, some

which have left me with no choice but Valium and 6-8 weeks in bed or if the pain

eases a wheel chair for some time.

I did go to see a Dr and he said I have flat back from looking at the Xrays but

has referred me to a Dr Andreen in Torremolinos for August 2nd (I currently live

in Spain), on the xray there is a vertebrae that is broken but he doesnt feel

that this is causing the pain, he has suggested that I take drugs for the rest

of my life as he thinks I look pretty " normal " , I will find out what he is

suggesting and let you know but he said they are what Doctors prescribe to

Cancer patients to help them deal with life long pain??

I am fused from T4 to L1 and T6 to T10.

I hope we can all find a solution to the pain

Best Wishes and luck to you

Simone

Re: Pain above fusion before and after rod removal

Hi ...

I could be wrong, but I think that arm pain often comes from problems

in the cervical spine. Have you mentioned it to your surgeon?

By the way, I was surprised to read that you had Harrington rods

implanted 13 years ago. At that time, C-D instrumentation was widely

available, and most surgeons had stopped using Harrington hardware.

--

> I had a spinal fusion from t4 to l3 13 years ago. For the past year

I have had tremendous

> pain above my fusion. The pain is on both side of my back but worse

on the side with my

> rib hump. My curve is a complete s curve.

>

> On June 4th I had my 2 haqrrington rods removed. Now I am getting

the same pain back

> in my upper back and shoulders. The pain has been getting worse

every since the surgery.

> It shoot to my elbow and pinky finger as the day goes on. All my

upper back and shoulder

> muscles are in knots and have been for a about a year.

Support for scoliosis-surgery veterans with Harrington Rod Malalignment

Syndrome. Not medical advice. Group does not control ads or endorse any

advertised products.

[Guest guest]

Hi Sharon

Me again, I too have bad neck pain but no as much as I suffer with lumbar pain,

bending over when I try to stand and sacro illiac joint problems, I do have

massage from my reflexologist which does sometimes help and she has said she has

never seen a neck so tight before, but I knew that was coming anyway.

I do agree with you that may have flat back, I didnt even know that it

existed until I joined this group.

So thanks to everyone for that.

I too had my rods inserted 15 years ago now when I was 12, and seem to have the

same problems as quite a few here that had Harrington rod, shame they didnt tell

us we would get all this wonderful pain!!!!!!!!!

Simone

Re: Re: Pain above fusion before and after rod

removal

That is very interesting about the rods. I had two rods that were 14

inches long to control an s curve.

I believe at the time of surgery my top curve was 70 and the bottom was

55. I remember at the time I went to Dupont in Delaware for an opinion

and they told me I would be in a cast for 6 months. Then I found Dr.

Segal at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center. He suggested the two

harrington rods for the fusion. I wonder why I was told this would be

best for me at the time.

Sorry to rant a bit.

I just had the rods removed by the same doc that put them in. We were

hoping that this would cure some of the pain in my scapular region.

Well, the pain is back. So I am kind of back to square one.

Thanks for listening and if you have any more advise I would love to

hear it.

Matt

On Jul 20, 2004, at 2:54 PM, Racine wrote:

> Hi ...

>

> I could be wrong, but I think that arm pain often comes from problems

> in the cervical spine. Have you mentioned it to your surgeon?

>

> By the way, I was surprised to read that you had Harrington rods

> implanted 13 years ago. At that time, C-D instrumentation was widely

> available, and most surgeons had stopped using Harrington hardware.

>

> --

>

>

> > I had a spinal fusion from t4 to l3 13 years ago. For the past year

> I have had tremendous

> > pain above my fusion. The pain is on both side of my back but worse

> on the side with my

> > rib hump. My curve is a complete s curve.

> >

> > On June 4th I had my 2 haqrrington rods removed. Now I am getting

> the same pain back

> > in my upper back and shoulders. The pain has been getting worse

> every since the surgery.

> > It shoot to my elbow and pinky finger as the day goes on. All my

> upper back and shoulder

> > muscles are in knots and have been for a about a year.

>

>

>

>

> Support for scoliosis-surgery veterans with Harrington Rod

> Malalignment Syndrome. Not medical advice. Group does not control ads

> or endorse any advertised products.

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the list christina! I have seen dr. albert. He was a very nice a

caring doctor but

was not sure how to help me at all. He went me to pain managment.

[Guest guest]

Hey there!

There's always my doc whom I've chosen, Dr. Girasole in Trumbull, CT.

203-268-2882.

Dr. Rand out of Boston is pretty popular on these boards. However, after 5

years of taking his advice I chose a different doc. This was due to my

experience with his secretary.

I prefer an overall communication with a doc's office personnel if I am going

to allow the doc to operate. I also prefer a doc who is in to new techniques,

etc... My doc, Dr. Girasole, was heavily involved in the trials for artificial

disc replacement. He was trained by another great surgeon who is popular on

these boards.

Dr. Farcy out of NYC.

Hope this helps a bit.

xoxo's