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  • Courtney
    Participant
    Post count: 1

    I am looking for some help after acdf c5-c7 in late May. Following surgery I went to rehab and regained movement in my leg and arm. Recently I have developed severe spasticity in both legs and nerve pain in both hands (prior to surgery I had lost complete use of my left side and partial use of my right hand). The spasticity and pain seem to be getting worse every day and I am now 3 months post op. My surgeon says he’s done his part and to contact my rehab doctor. I have seen him and was put in medications to help both of these however my symptoms are worsening. I still have positive Hoffman on both sides and hyperflexia on both sides. Should these be continuing to worsen or is this a sign of a new problem? Is this permanent? Is this how I am going to spend the rest of my life? Also, what kind of doctor should I be seeing to discuss these things? A neurologist? Thank you so much!

    Donald Corenman, MD, DC
    Moderator
    Post count: 8660

    It sounds like you had significant cord compression and myelopathy before your ACDF surgery (“prior to surgery I had lost complete use of my left side and partial use of my right hand”). I would assume that you already had Hoffman’s sign in your hands and spasticity in your legs prior to surgery due to the severity of your myelopathy. Are you saying the symptoms now are worse than prior to surgery or they improved after surgery and have advanced since the improvement?

    If symptoms are getting worse now, I would advise a new MRI to make sure the decompression is adequate or another level has now become compressive. Either a spine surgeon or a neurosurgeon would be appropriate.

    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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