Re: Hello, Mike

[Guest guest]

Hi, Mike!

I am so sorry about your pain. I had cervical fusion done on C-5,6 and C-6,7 in

94. Things were great for 6 months. Then the worst pain ever hit and was

relentless. I went back to the doc who did the fusions. He is regarded as one of

the best neurosurgeons in the SE. I guess he wanted his numbers right so he did

an MRI and the reading indicated a bulge at the C-7,T-1 but that it wasn't

clinically significant.(Not the docs nor the radiologists pain, now was it? I

was even asked if things at home were oK like that might make my neck hurt? I

don't think so unless I was getting slapped around or maybe choked on a regular

basis) Many visits to the acupuncturist and lots of therapy later( not to

mention many thousands of dollars too) I was to the point where I could bear it

again. I still get the pains you mention thought it's been about 10+ years since

the surgery and first after pains hit. I was given an epidural and though I am

sure the correct spot was hit, I don't think it did a

thing for the pain and opted not to have my spine assaulted again.

What does this treatment you mention consist of? I can't imagine life without

babying my neck pain but it would be such fun to be able to pick up grandbabies

which are older than a couple of months old. I played with the 2 youngest

grandsons on Sat and though I didn't pick them up, I do still have knots in my

arms from playing with them. Tickling themand aggravating is all this grandma is

fit for and I was once so active with the kids especially.

Since I also have ankylosing spondylitis and fibromyalgia, there is a lot of

pain anyway so I am on chrinic pain meds for now. I have been since 98. I don't

know that there is any other answer for me in the near future.

I hope you have a great deal of luck with what you are having done with your

neck and welcome to the group.

GA

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[Guest guest]

Hello ,

The procedure is called Disc Nucleoplasty. More

information can be found at www.nucleoplasty.com. It

is an outpatient procedure much the same as an

injection or discography. A needle is inserted into

the problematic disc and according to the web site

" Radio wave signals are sent through the transmitter

into the jelly-like nucleus of the herniated disc. The

radio waves produce a low-temperature ionized gas that

breaks up molecular bonds in the spongy nucleus,

removing tissue volume. " It boils down to " they

shrink the disc. " By removing tissue volume, it then

becomes hard for the disc to bulge and press on the

nerves that cause the pain. The technology has been

around for a while and it is an FDA approved device,

but it has been only until recently that they began

using it on discs.

The problem that I had to overcome was once they

cooked the disc, there is no going back. But, my

theory is that it is either going to work or it isn't

(brilliant theory, I think). If it doesn't, I don't

think that I'm going to be any worse off than I am,

and then maybe I'll be a surgery candidate at that

time. Right now, it's the only hope that I have, and

that is better than no hope at all.

Now comes the major obsticle though. When I called to

schedule the procedure this morning, the doctors

office told me that it could take weeks to get

insurance pre-approval for this. It's comforting to

know that the insurance company is willing to live

with my pain. But of course, they know more than the

doctor that has been treating me ;-)

Hope that you have smooth sailing ahead.

Blessings,

Mike

--- Herring wrote:

Hi, Mike!

What does this treatment you mention consist of?