Dear Doctor,
I did not understand your answer about surgery on a compressed c4 nerve root if you knew the compression was 7 years old and the symptoms debilitating. I tried to shape the question to be a yes-no answer and I did see your words within reason. I want to be absolutely certain of your opinion on this because I believe this to be one of my problems and its elimination might make a major difference. It may be the one thing something can be done about and the one thing I might be willing to do. I also believe it to be out in the foramen and I wonder what would happen if the nerve were decompressed. Way back on my c2-3 facet thread I mentioned that there was superb relief on a C3-4 block but a later radiofrequency failed. I cannot help but think the anesthetic may have dripped on the nerve root. I had two mri’s. The first shows some compression. (tesla 1.5). The second a year later unfortunately was an open mri and it is awful (didn’t know better at the time)…but there are some revealing axial cuts that show the disc at c3-4 sitting on 95% of that nerve like a boulder on an ant.
So…if this was a simple (for you) foraminotomy would you perform surgery if you knew it was a debilitating sensory c4 radiculopathy that was traumatically induced (weight lifting/fall while jogging) 7 years ago or is it simply too late for any rational hopes of recovery of that nerve???
No response necessary here. Thought you might find this interesting. We went back and forth on the c2-3 facet thread and also the cervical trigger point thread about “the thing” near c3-4 that I am always pressing and also some atrophy (prior to any radiofrequency). One doctor called it a calcification and your last words were puzzle. I think I know what it might be. I think it is a neuroma, one of the small posterior muscles innervated by c4 (longissumus or semispinalis capitus….or a muscle in that area). Am I paying attention or what.
Thank you