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in reply to: When is it time for surgery? #8315
Thank you Dr Corenman for your reply.
I think most of the things that you say are pretty much what I was concerned about.I have been getting a lot of neck pain from very small movements and even when I use my arms. I had wondered if it could be caused by my neck not being fused. I get pain in my hands and arms everyday although not all the time. This is aching, burning, stabbing type pain and even my wrists feel like they are sprained if I try to pick up anything heavy or even sometimes if I just place my hands on my hips.
I still get the stiffening spasms when getting up out of bed in the morning and up out of a chair if I have been sitting for long. I get cramping, stabbing and numbness in my toes and occasional sciatica. I am still getting the feeling that I have a mobile phone inside my right leg on vibrate, and get this every day, but not continuously, when I am sitting or even lying. I used to think it must be because there was pressure on a nerve, but when I am lying down nothing is pressing on my leg. I have even felt it when standing up.
I think I have been trying to ignore my symptoms in the hope that they are not serious. They make me wince with the pain, but because they don’t generally last for very long, I am coping without much use of pain meds since weaning off the Neurontin/Gabapentin. I do sometimes wake with numb fingertips that does last for several hours and they start to tingle and prick for a few hours as the feeling starts to come back.
It is interesting what you say about the EMG results being a concern as they indicate that there is motor nerve compression which must be significant to disrupt the signals to the muscles. I hadn’t realised this. I had the EMG tests to rule out MS because I had so many symptoms.
There is a part of me that doesn’t want to acknowledge that all this is still going on. I think I have been hoping that it will all resolve itself, and told myself that if there were problems continuing then eventually they would get so bad that there would be no doubt about it. I feel like I sound like a stuck record and seem to always be complaining of my symptoms!
I do have an appointment with my surgeon next month. I was so hoping when it was arranged before Christmas, that it was going to be a positive appointment with my symptoms much better.
in reply to: When is it time for surgery? #8309Hi Dr Corenman,
I got the ok to do physiotherapy, and having been having weekly sessions where he works on the muscles of my neck and thoracic spine to get them to relax off. Each week they are tight again. Things seemed to get worse when I went back to work.I wasn’t really given restrictions of what I shouldn’t do after surgery. My surgeon did tell me before surgery that the rules would be similar to after my lumbar surgery. I did find after surgery that my neck movement was better than expected even while still in hospital. Things are pretty much back to how they were before surgery now as far as mobility is concerned.
I have now weaned off the neurontin completely because I wanted to feel how I was without masking any symptoms. I am still getting pains and tingles in both hands and arms and feet and legs. Also I get pain on the top of my thighs, particularly the left one. I am still getting the tight band around my abdomen, especially on the left side.
I have experienced far fewer headaches since my surgery.
I wonder if the other symptoms that I am still getting could be from other levels of my spine. I do know that I had problems with my neck below the C3/4/5 that were fused. An EMG showed bilateral neurogenic changes in my deltoid, triceps and biceps.I don’t know if you remember viewing my MRI of the whole of my spine. My surgeon did warn me that I may need further surgery from the back at a later date. I am not sure if he meant that would be on C3/4/5 or on the other levels below that where there were problems. When we spoke, you agreed that there were other problems.
I do worry that I am having problems with my lumbar spine again. (My L4/5 was fused 3 years ago, but there were problems with discs above and below before that, although not bad enough to require surgery. (One doctor did say I may need to have more than one level fused or an implant (Wallis Ligament) put in at a second level, but my surgeon felt only the one level was necessary.)
When I woke from my neck fusion I was in a lot of pain from my lumbar spine. These pains on the top of both thighs was not there 6 months ago.I am interested to hear what you think of my remaining symptoms, and if you still have my MRI scans.
It is still only 5 months since my ACDF so hopefully there is still time to get further relief from the surgery. I just hope that these problems are not coming from other problems in my spine.
in reply to: When is it time for surgery? #7753Hi Dr Corenman,
I am almost certain that the surgeon explained that he would use two titanium cages. (I have a document detailing the implants used and it states Cespace titanium cages. One is slightly larger than the other.) I asked about bone graft and plate and he said he wouldn’t use them. He explained that the teeth on the cage would hold it in place and that he would prepare my vertebrae so that they bled and my bone would grow through the holes in the cages. He said that the cage has a special coating that encourages bone growth. (I think he said that it is similar to that used for hip replacements. From research I have done, I think this is Plasmapore.)
On an x-ray, you can see two very white spacers between the vertebrae. He said that his colleagues use the same method, and I have a friend who had the same surgery by another surgeon.
Do you think that fusion with these titanium cages will take longer than with allograft spacers?
As I am in the UK, I will have to pay for any physiotherapy I have. I am happy to do that to help my return to as much movement as possible.
in reply to: When is it time for surgery? #7747So far I am not in any sort of rehab. (I assume you mean exercises. Would this include anything else?)
I do walk daily for just under 2 miles.
I don’t do anything other than that.
Perhaps I should contact my surgeon and check he is happy for me to start exercises. Then I can visit my physiotherapist who was great after my lumbar fusion.My fusion has been done with 2 titanium Cespace cages. No graft, no plate or screws and I didn’t have a collar at all. He seems confident that the ‘teeth’ on the cages will hold my neck secure. But I would feel more confident to get his ok before starting any exercises.
My turning to the right is much reduced compared to turning to the left.
in reply to: When is it time for surgery? #7742Thank you Dr Corenman,
I will try to stay hopeful and be patient.
After my lumbar fusion, my symptoms were helped enormously immediately after surgery, and I think I was hoping that would be the case this time. I have been put back on the Gabapentin again to help things. Generally I am not needing to take any other pain meds.in reply to: When is it time for surgery? #7740Hi Dr Corenman,
I am well recovered from surgery now and my swallowing and voice are almost back to normal.As I weaned off the Gabapentin, my symptoms have returned including the stiffening spasms when I get up from lying or sitting. This is as bad as every and the back and neck arching is happening again.
My surgeon and GP are still hopeful that with time I will get some relief.
I am thinking that the fact that it is still there now 9 weeks after surgery, means that I may be left with it. I was left for over 2 years after having my symptoms, which included brisk reflexes in my legs and arms.
What do you think is the chance of me getting relief of my spasms and the pains I am still getting in my hands, arms, legs and feet?
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