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Neurology (Expert Forum)
Neck Pain
This forum is for questions and support regarding neurology issues such as: Alzheimer's Disease, ALS, Autism, Brain Cancer, Cerebral Palsy, Chronic Pain, Epilepsy, Fibromyalgia, Headaches, MS, Neuralgia, Neuropathy, Parkinson's Disease, RSD, Sleep Disorders, Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury
Neck Pain
by CGTMHI, Mar 12, 2000 12:00AM
, Mar 12, 2000 12:00AM
I have been told that there is nothing more that can be done for me. But I don't believe that can be true. Even if nothing can be done to fix my pain, isn't there some way to manage my pain better so I can return to work?
THANK YOU MED HELP AND THE DOCTORS VERY MUCH FOR YOUR HELP!!
1994
July-neck pain of unknown origin. Tests revealed a disc problem at C6-C7 and the disc was removed in November. No fusion. Within 10 days of surgery, I returned to my normal schedule of working 10-14 hour days six or seven days a week, including extensive travel.
1996
January 16: Rear-ended. Felt burst of pain at left base of neck. Think I blacked out momentarily. Shaking badly. But because the pain was just a burst, I thought I was OK. I contacted my neurosurgeon's office and was sent for a neck x-ray, which showed no fracture. Within 24-36 hours of accident developed severe neck pain in left side of neck; head tilted and turned far right.
Feb - Aug: Because the neurosurgeon said I had whiplash, I turned to a D.O., who treated me with heat and small manipulation (no cracking of neck). She also referred me for acupuncture, massage, and rolfing. Nothing helped except that the D.O. would give me shots of pain killer in my neck and shots of torodol (spelling?) for the headaches. These gave me a couple of hours of relief. Weight dropped from 116 to 90 lbs by June 1996.
May 1: MRI of neck - protruding disc at C5-C6, slight impingement on spinal cord.
June: On the advice of my doctors I stopped working. The neurosurgeon put me on darvocet, told me not to read, watch TV, drive, etc. and prescribed 3 weeks of daily physical therapy.
For several months, I had been having incidents where I felt I might pass out. It was like blackness coming over me. In late June, I passed out after I got home from physical therapy. I experienced a couple more such episodes after physical therapy and physical therapy was discontinued. Brain MRI -- I was told it was normal; however, EEG showed a spurt of abnormal activity in right front. A second EEG confirmed the burst.
August: Myelogram/CT Scan. The neurosurgeon then told me surgery was an option. I was in so much pain, I was willing to try anything, and since he offered no other suggestions and none of my other doctors had any other ideas, I agreed to surgery.
October 24: SURGERY: As I understand it, the doctor enlarged the left side foramen at C4-C5, C5-C6 and C6-C7 and did "nerve releases."
Complications --Very low blood pressure and lost 500 or 600 cc. blood. When I regained consciousness, I could not find my left arm when I reached for it with my right hand. I could not move my left arm. I could wiggle my fingers and move my wrist a little, but had no wrist strength. If my arm was not supported it just flopped; dangling in front of my body. My neck hurt a lot. I have a long scar running down the back of my neck.
November: EMG, which showed nerve root damage at C5-C6 and C4-C5; neck x-ray to check foramen, which I was told was normal.
December: Physical therapy evaluation. The physical therapist expressed surprise that my shoulder had not subluxed. As I understand the results of her evaluation, the majority of my shoulder muscles were not functioning.
1997-1999
1997 Physical therapy - primarily focused on range of motion and strength of arm and shoulder and working with hand.
I fell twice during early 1997 - lost my balance as the result of stumbling over/into something. The first time I hit my head on my treadmill and was diagnosed with a slight concussion. I don't remember whether I went to the doctor after the second fall. MRI neck and upper thoracic spine. Finding: no change from presurgical myelogram/CT scan. Tried a TENS unit on my neck, but it really aggravated neck pain. I was given the following medications (that I can remember) in various combinations and dosages during 1997-1998: Neurontin, Roxicet, Ultram, Zoloft, Trazodone, Florinef, Duract, Demerol, Valium, Baclofen, Darvocet, Percocet, Laclulose.
Aug. 98 Moved to Oregon. I hoped to find new doctors who would take a fresh look at my problems and to attend school as sort of self-vocational rehabilitation, because I was not receiving professional help. As of August 98, I was on the following medications: Tegretol, Zanaflelx , Prevacid, Synthroid, Cycrin, Estropipate, Propoxyphene-N 100 W/ APAP 650, Senacot-S.
Feb-Oct 99 Treated in OHSU pain program. Tried Neurontin (again) - I could not tolerate it (again); could not stay awake, memory problems. Tried Nortryptiline - allergic reaction - shaking, mouth ulcers, stomach. Physical therapy - aggravated neck pain to the point where I could not even get up. Three nerve blocks done without anesthesia to determine if I was a candidate for deenervation. May - began taking Oxycontin 10 mg. twice a day. It took me a couple of months to be able to tolerate Oxycontin - made me feel unpleasantly out of focus, upset my stomach, and I would fall asleep about one to two hours after taking it. As a side effect of the Oxycontin, my intestines have stopped functioning without 3 or 4 Senacot-S and Super Dieter's Tea daily. I am extremely fatigued.
June - deenervation of nerves on left side of neck at four levels. After about 6 weeks, I noticed that the pain in the top part of my head had improved somewhat and that I was having less difficulty with blurred vision. However, neck pain was not better. (The procedure was not supposed to help my left hand and arm pain/hypersensitivity and it did not.) I was also warned that the relief provided from the procedure might last only a year. After deenervation, more physical therapy which exacerbated my neck pain.
Misc. I have been evaluated for RSD - the doctor concluded that I did not have RSD. I have received psychological counseling throughout this ordeal.
Current Status
NECK
1. Unremitting neck pain. When I sit for more than 20-30 minutes, the pain begins to escalate. The worse the pain, the more my head turns involuntarily to the right. There is a point of stabbling pain in the mid-left side of my neck and the pain radiates up my jaw to my left eye and temple. I also have pain at the area where the burst of pain occurred at the time of the accident. Sometimes I feel the pain in my teeth and tongue and it feels like my throat is constricted. I cannot wear necklaces or turtleneck - things touching my neck irritate it. In addition, I cannot wear articles of clothing with straps, because it makes my neck and shoulder/arm pain worse.
2. Pain across the back of my head, with swelling in the ocipital area. The worse the pain in the neck, the worse this pain is. No one has ever explained why the swelling occurs.
3. Extremely limited neck
THANK YOU MED HELP AND THE DOCTORS VERY MUCH FOR YOUR HELP!!
1994
July-neck pain of unknown origin. Tests revealed a disc problem at C6-C7 and the disc was removed in November. No fusion. Within 10 days of surgery, I returned to my normal schedule of working 10-14 hour days six or seven days a week, including extensive travel.
1996
January 16: Rear-ended. Felt burst of pain at left base of neck. Think I blacked out momentarily. Shaking badly. But because the pain was just a burst, I thought I was OK. I contacted my neurosurgeon's office and was sent for a neck x-ray, which showed no fracture. Within 24-36 hours of accident developed severe neck pain in left side of neck; head tilted and turned far right.
Feb - Aug: Because the neurosurgeon said I had whiplash, I turned to a D.O., who treated me with heat and small manipulation (no cracking of neck). She also referred me for acupuncture, massage, and rolfing. Nothing helped except that the D.O. would give me shots of pain killer in my neck and shots of torodol (spelling?) for the headaches. These gave me a couple of hours of relief. Weight dropped from 116 to 90 lbs by June 1996.
May 1: MRI of neck - protruding disc at C5-C6, slight impingement on spinal cord.
June: On the advice of my doctors I stopped working. The neurosurgeon put me on darvocet, told me not to read, watch TV, drive, etc. and prescribed 3 weeks of daily physical therapy.
For several months, I had been having incidents where I felt I might pass out. It was like blackness coming over me. In late June, I passed out after I got home from physical therapy. I experienced a couple more such episodes after physical therapy and physical therapy was discontinued. Brain MRI -- I was told it was normal; however, EEG showed a spurt of abnormal activity in right front. A second EEG confirmed the burst.
August: Myelogram/CT Scan. The neurosurgeon then told me surgery was an option. I was in so much pain, I was willing to try anything, and since he offered no other suggestions and none of my other doctors had any other ideas, I agreed to surgery.
October 24: SURGERY: As I understand it, the doctor enlarged the left side foramen at C4-C5, C5-C6 and C6-C7 and did "nerve releases."
Complications --Very low blood pressure and lost 500 or 600 cc. blood. When I regained consciousness, I could not find my left arm when I reached for it with my right hand. I could not move my left arm. I could wiggle my fingers and move my wrist a little, but had no wrist strength. If my arm was not supported it just flopped; dangling in front of my body. My neck hurt a lot. I have a long scar running down the back of my neck.
November: EMG, which showed nerve root damage at C5-C6 and C4-C5; neck x-ray to check foramen, which I was told was normal.
December: Physical therapy evaluation. The physical therapist expressed surprise that my shoulder had not subluxed. As I understand the results of her evaluation, the majority of my shoulder muscles were not functioning.
1997-1999
1997 Physical therapy - primarily focused on range of motion and strength of arm and shoulder and working with hand.
I fell twice during early 1997 - lost my balance as the result of stumbling over/into something. The first time I hit my head on my treadmill and was diagnosed with a slight concussion. I don't remember whether I went to the doctor after the second fall. MRI neck and upper thoracic spine. Finding: no change from presurgical myelogram/CT scan. Tried a TENS unit on my neck, but it really aggravated neck pain. I was given the following medications (that I can remember) in various combinations and dosages during 1997-1998: Neurontin, Roxicet, Ultram, Zoloft, Trazodone, Florinef, Duract, Demerol, Valium, Baclofen, Darvocet, Percocet, Laclulose.
Aug. 98 Moved to Oregon. I hoped to find new doctors who would take a fresh look at my problems and to attend school as sort of self-vocational rehabilitation, because I was not receiving professional help. As of August 98, I was on the following medications: Tegretol, Zanaflelx , Prevacid, Synthroid, Cycrin, Estropipate, Propoxyphene-N 100 W/ APAP 650, Senacot-S.
Feb-Oct 99 Treated in OHSU pain program. Tried Neurontin (again) - I could not tolerate it (again); could not stay awake, memory problems. Tried Nortryptiline - allergic reaction - shaking, mouth ulcers, stomach. Physical therapy - aggravated neck pain to the point where I could not even get up. Three nerve blocks done without anesthesia to determine if I was a candidate for deenervation. May - began taking Oxycontin 10 mg. twice a day. It took me a couple of months to be able to tolerate Oxycontin - made me feel unpleasantly out of focus, upset my stomach, and I would fall asleep about one to two hours after taking it. As a side effect of the Oxycontin, my intestines have stopped functioning without 3 or 4 Senacot-S and Super Dieter's Tea daily. I am extremely fatigued.
June - deenervation of nerves on left side of neck at four levels. After about 6 weeks, I noticed that the pain in the top part of my head had improved somewhat and that I was having less difficulty with blurred vision. However, neck pain was not better. (The procedure was not supposed to help my left hand and arm pain/hypersensitivity and it did not.) I was also warned that the relief provided from the procedure might last only a year. After deenervation, more physical therapy which exacerbated my neck pain.
Misc. I have been evaluated for RSD - the doctor concluded that I did not have RSD. I have received psychological counseling throughout this ordeal.
Current Status
NECK
1. Unremitting neck pain. When I sit for more than 20-30 minutes, the pain begins to escalate. The worse the pain, the more my head turns involuntarily to the right. There is a point of stabbling pain in the mid-left side of my neck and the pain radiates up my jaw to my left eye and temple. I also have pain at the area where the burst of pain occurred at the time of the accident. Sometimes I feel the pain in my teeth and tongue and it feels like my throat is constricted. I cannot wear necklaces or turtleneck - things touching my neck irritate it. In addition, I cannot wear articles of clothing with straps, because it makes my neck and shoulder/arm pain worse.
2. Pain across the back of my head, with swelling in the ocipital area. The worse the pain in the neck, the worse this pain is. No one has ever explained why the swelling occurs.
3. Extremely limited neck