pjkgarcia

Hello,
I had ACDF at C5-6 in November 2014 due to a bulging, leaking disk, hypermobility, and instability (due to stretched ligaments). In addition, my neck no longer had natural curvature (loss of lordosis) and had a straight forward alignment. For a year prior to surgery, I was experiencing increasing severe neck pain & spasm that extended down my spine to below my shoulder blades that became chronic and unbearable. Before surgery, my right arm & hand was noticeably weaker than my left ( I am right handed)

I suspect that the stretched ligaments were caused by an assault in 2004. During a fit of rage, my ex-husband lifted me by my head from a sitting position on floor to a position above his head and held me up and shook me as he screamed at me. He dropped me. I am 5’4″, 130 lb at the time, he is 6’2″, 200lbs. At the time, I was shocked by the incident, surprised I did not die nor feel any pain, so I did not seek medical treatment. A year later, I was rear-ended by someone at a speed of 10-20 mph. Again, I felt no pain at the time and did not seek medical care (although a police report was filed because person who rear-ended me totaled their car; I was in a truck that suffered a little ding; although contents of my truck flew into windshield.

During the ACDF, the surgeon restored the curvature in my neck using traction. My head had cuts and my shoulders were bruised with blood blisters. I asked the surgeon what was the reason for this, and he explained that traction was used in the ACDF the separate the vertebrae & properly realign my neck. As the muscle pain in my neck subsided, my right shoulder had pain, which stood out as my primary pain 5 months after surgery, and now 8 months after surgery is intolerable. The pain has shifted to the thoracic area of my back and is the worst at night in bed and when I wake up.

X-Rays of neck and MRI of neck and both shoulders revealed full tear of supraspinatus tendon in right shoulder / rotator cuff. Cortisone shot in shoulder worked for short term (2 days).

Doctors recommended surgery to repair torn tendon. I feel that it is highly possible that the traction caused the tendon tear. Doctor thinks it is not likely & suggests I have loose or weak tendons. Generally, I do not have loose or pliable tendons throughout my body, except one in area in my neck where I had the ACDF.

Do you think it is possible the traction caused my shoulder injury? Any suggestions for additional tests? Should I be concerned about the thoracic pain as more than muscles compensating for supraspinatus tear?

I am 49, and doctors say that the issues in my neck and shoulder are indicative of trauma, not aging. There is no calcareous build up near tear or signs of arthritis…