cervical problems

[Guest guest]

I realize this group is for flatback but I was wondering how many of you are also having problems above their original fusion? I injured my neck about 4 weeks ago. My main problem seems to be right at the top of the rod. When I keep my neck in a flexed position for more than a few seconds I have trouble lifting my head back up. It just seems like something is stuck in there. Has any one had to have further fusion above the original fusion?

Peggy

[Guest guest]

I've avoided surgery for the neck so far, and hope to continue to for a long time. I have quite a lot of degeneration though - the C5-6 and 6-7 discs are bulging into the spinal canal, the 5-6 disc especially being badly degenerated, having lost a lot of it's height. I've got bone spurs at those levels, and between C7 and T1, and have lost any cervical lordosis. I've probably also got stenosis of the nerve root exits, based on a couple of physical tests to see what pain they provoked, but would need an MRI to confirm.

Before I had the revision, I was positive that I'd need to have work done on my neck as well, as it was causing me so much trouble, and I did also push to see someone about it a couple of years ago - about 2 years after revision - when it gave me grief again. I'm still ok without, although when I do injure it it can take some while to really settle down.

I remember well the feeling of being unable to lift my head back up. Also, before the revision, when I was bent forward even when sitting down, I used to get the horrible feeling of my head just being too big and heavy for my neck, and would have massive difficulty finding a way to sit that allowed it to settle down again.

I did find that when it was feeling lke that, and inclined to lock, that if I could tilt my chair, to take the weight off my neck, and adjust my desk as necessary, including reducing the resolution of my monitor so that I could still read it clearly from a greater distance, helped a bit. I also used a lot of Deep Relief gel (levomenthol & 5% ibuprofen) on it, and was taking NSAIDs several times a day anyway as part of my pain control. I'm also one for heat, rather than ice, so used a wheatbag across my shoulders to relieve it, and got a lot of back and shoulder rubs from the other half.

I honestly don't know if the future holds neck surgery for me - at the moment, despite the grief it gives me at times, I'd expect I can say no, because it has always settled, and I've learned most of what to do, or not to do, to keep it good. It's the rest of me that's the big problem :op At the moment I'm using a pair of crutches some days because my sacro-iliac joints have decided to fall apart, so I'm more worried about them. They have some excuse and extenuating circumstances mind you, so I'm hopeful they'll heal up enough again as well. I hope your neck heals up nice and quick, and that you can find some good relief in the meantime!

titch-- The wages of sin are death, but by the time taxes are taken out, it's just sort of a tired feeling - a Poundstone

[Guest guest]

Hi All

I can relate to neck problems myself. Currently I am suffering badly

with my neck at the bottom where it joins my shoulder, like Titch

said I feel like my head is too heavy for my body and I can't hold

it up, the only relief I get is from heat, a wheatbag across my

shoulders or resting my head on a pillow or against the chair I am

sitting on.

I went to see my Gp about it today as over the weekend it got so bad

I couldn't physically lift my arm anymore, it was 'dead', he

prescribed me epam (only 2mg) and said it was tension, the

muscles feel tense and in spasm, but he won't do anything else b/c

my surgery is in 2 weeks time, maybe thats his way of saying its

related to the Scoliosis.

I have no idea what sort of state my cervical spine is in, but I do

know that I am fused from T2 so those vertebrae above my original

fusion have been taking all the flak for the past 16 years.

I reckon it is related to my Scoliosis, my spine is out of line

because of my flatback and broken rod and even my OH said I have no

curve in my neck like 'normal' people do.

I don't know if I'll be fused ny higher until I go in for my surgery

but I doubt it b/c I am fused high anyway.

Kat x

[Guest guest]

>

> Hi All

>

> I can relate to neck problems myself. Currently I am suffering

badly

> with my neck at the bottom where it joins my shoulder, like Titch

> said I feel like my head is too heavy for my body and I can't hold

> it up, the only relief I get is from heat, a wheatbag across my

> shoulders or resting my head on a pillow or against the chair I am

> sitting on.

> I went to see my Gp about it today as over the weekend it got so

bad

> I couldn't physically lift my arm anymore, it was 'dead', he

> prescribed me epam (only 2mg) and said it was tension, the

> muscles feel tense and in spasm, but he won't do anything else b/c

> my surgery is in 2 weeks time, maybe thats his way of saying its

> related to the Scoliosis.

> I have no idea what sort of state my cervical spine is in, but I

do

> know that I am fused from T2 so those vertebrae above my original

> fusion have been taking all the flak for the past 16 years.

>

> I reckon it is related to my Scoliosis, my spine is out of line

> because of my flatback and broken rod and even my OH said I have

no

> curve in my neck like 'normal' people do.

> I don't know if I'll be fused ny higher until I go in for my

surgery

> but I doubt it b/c I am fused high anyway.

>

> Kat x

>

Kat

I saw your post this morning & thought maybe you could relate to

this. I was in a car accident in 1999 & ruptured some discs In my

neck (C3-5). I had to have a surgical fusion which helped to

relieve the pain somewat, but it was always there and I really was

limited as to what I could do with my right arm that required

repetitve motion, as it still set off the pain. Since my revision

(6.5 mos. post op) I have had very little pain in that area. I

think that being " off center " affects us in so many more ways than

we even realize. I do hope that you get the same relief I did.

Best of luck,

Nan