[Sandy743]

#6944

I am a 44 year old male in very good shape other than my spine. Years of sports and abuse on my body has left me with C3-C7 fusion (2003). Within the last 6 months my range of motion has decreased almost to no movement. I had an x-ray and C1 and C2 have almost doubled in size and it looks like C2 had collapsed in the posterior area of my neck. I have intense pain in the back of my neck radiating thru the back of my head. I get constant shocks running up the side of my head and my left ear hurts constantly. If another fusion is done, I know the C1-C2 will wear out and then my entire neck will be fused. IS it possible to shave the spurs down and/or is there an inplant like the ones on your website that may be used to allow some motion if a fusion is required? Can the C3-C7 be divided and an implant be added to allow some mobility? I have a jpeg of the xray, but can’t find a place to attach it? Thanks for your help.

[Donald Corenman, MD, DC]

#6957

I am somewhat confused. Did you have a surgical fusion of C3-7 or did your neck auto-fuse? I will assume that you had a surgical fusion as auto-fusion has other connotations.

With a 4 level fusion of your neck over ten years with what I will assume is that of a normal and not sedentary lifestyle as there is concern of wearing out the levels above and below. This is not just from the fusion itself, but also from preexisting genetics of degenerative disc disease.

You probably have greater and/or lesser occipital neuralgia. The C2 and C3 nerve roots exit out from behind C1-2 and C2-3. These nerves run from the back of the skull over the head to the top of the eyes and around the ears. Nerve irritation will cause exactly the symptoms you describe.

You might find a physician that can perform facet blocks or nerve blocks. Rhizotomies might be an appropriate treatment if you get diagnostic relief from the facet blocks. Rarely, surgery might be indicated.

Dr. Corenman

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