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I had a acdf for years ago. After the surgery I still had this nagging pain around the traps area, which I know is the c5 area. Recently it has gotten worse. I had the mri and the fusion is good at c4-c5. Now I have Mild broad-based disc bulge slightly effacing the ventral thecal sac producing mild bilateral foraminal stenosis. All facet are unremarkable. I started getting numbness in the face at the end of January, it then started going down into my hand, loosing strength in my hand. If I sit in the chair and turn my left thumb is up my hand will close on its own, half way. The the numbness went to surrounding the left side of neck. Stiffness in the left side of neck. I can push down around c2 and it will produce the pain I am feeling. I cannot turn my neck all the way to the left without pain. I have an epidural, no luck.
Pain in the trapezius area could originate from the C4 nerve root all the way down to T1. Just because a nerve is capable of referring pain distally does not mean it will refer all the way down it’s distal terminus. Many patents come in with “only” shoulder pain and have a nerve compression of C7 as the cause.
Numbness in the face is not caused by nerve compression in the neck. The trigeminal nerve that provides sensation to the face is a cranial nerve and never leaves the skull.
Numbness into the hand with associated weakness can be from cervical nerve root compression but also can originate from carpel tunnel syndrome (see website).
Do you have a solid fusion at C4-5 from the previous ACDF.
Dr. Corenman
PLEASE REMEMBER, THIS FORUM IS MEANT TO PROVIDE GENERAL INFORMATION ON SPINE ANATOMY, CONDITIONS AND TREATMENTS. TO GET AN ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS, YOU MUST VISIT A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL IN PERSON.
Donald Corenman, MD, DC is a highly-regarded spine surgeon, considered an expert in the area of neck and back pain. Trained as both a Medical Doctor and Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Corenman earned academic appointments as Clinical Assistant Professor and Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and his research on spine surgery and rehabilitation has resulted in the publication of multiple peer-reviewed articles and two books.Yes, it is solid. I also have the sternoclaviclar muscle that sticks out, that happened after my shoulder instability surgery done before my acdf. Which, my pain management Dr. thinks might have something to do with it. I work for him and ortho group. Its sad I work for them and they cant pinpoint what is going on. But I had a neurosurgeron to do my surgery.Thank you for your input.
With a prior shoulder surgery, you could have impingement syndrome also. A diagnostic injection into the shoulder (which can be performed in the office) that yields good temporary relief can uncover the shoulder diagnosis. Conversely, no relief will rule out the shoulder as a pain generator.
Dr. Corenman
PLEASE REMEMBER, THIS FORUM IS MEANT TO PROVIDE GENERAL INFORMATION ON SPINE ANATOMY, CONDITIONS AND TREATMENTS. TO GET AN ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS, YOU MUST VISIT A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL IN PERSON.
Donald Corenman, MD, DC is a highly-regarded spine surgeon, considered an expert in the area of neck and back pain. Trained as both a Medical Doctor and Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Corenman earned academic appointments as Clinical Assistant Professor and Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and his research on spine surgery and rehabilitation has resulted in the publication of multiple peer-reviewed articles and two books. -
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