[RyanCS]

#32777

Hello, I’m reaching out because I’m desperately in need of a solution to my neck pain.

About 4 years ago I was training for a triathlon and in the middle of a long swim I felt my upper trapezius and lower neck strain all at once.

Since then I’ve tried everything from chiropractic, massage, physical therapy, injections, epidural, and eventually an MRI revealed a profusion at C7-T1.

I eventually had an ACDF and I’m not as bad as I was but I’m still in chronic pain.

There’s a slight protrusion at C6-C7 but it doesn’t look like enough that another fusion would be justified. I’m a 31 year old man…

I just had a doctor (not a surgeon) say that the pain is mental and my brain has worked itself to send pain signals and that I should basically keep rehabbing and that surgery doesn’t help with pain, and that I may deal with this for life…

My question is, does this sound normal? Have people recovered from this type of thing & how?

Is there hope for me?

Should I see another surgeon?

No doctor is seeing any massive problem in X-Ray or MRI other than a small bulge at C6- C7…

I’m just completely exhausted from this pain and need a solution.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

[Donald Corenman, MD, DC]

#32787

Pain is not “mental” (typically) but a peripheral nerve signal triggered due to tissue damage. The pain is dependent upon the structure damaged. Your pain could be generated by the C6-7 disc or even from a pseudoarthrosis (lack of fusion) at C7-T1. A set of flexion/extension X-rays or even better, a CT scan would be helpful to differentiate those two. Facet degeneration, commonly unrecognized can also cause this pain.

Dr. Corenman

[Author]

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