My question was "Surgery for this condition; how long is recovery?" I thought that was specific.
I do understand that you can't do a physical exam on the internet, and I was just grasping at straws, hoping you could tell me the possible surgeries and recovery times for a cervical spine in this condition.
I would have been more specific, if space had allowed. I thought it was important to put all the specifics of the MRI report, so you could have the most information. Unfortunately, that didn't leave me room to be more specific about anything else.
My friend will be seeing her neurologist before long, and will learn more from her, and will be referred to a neurosurgeon, who will be able to give her more information. She is understandably concerned, and I was hoping to find some more information to give her some idea of what to expect. Waiting is so difficult.
You must work all the time! Two responses, nearly 12 hours apart!
Thanks for your time,
Kathy
I'm sorry, but did you read the MRI results?
Her neurologist read the results and called before their scheduled follow-up to tell her that she needed to see a neuro-surgeon. Her physical therapist read it and said "you understand you'll be needing surgery, right"?
My question was asking how long recovery from surgery for this condition of cervical spine take. I didn't ask if it would cure headaches; The findings on the MRI show much that could cause spinal cord damage if it is not dealt with. I looked at her MRI, compared it with mine, and even as a layperson I could see that it is in serious condition. The white part of the spinal cord on the T2 images is just about completely obscured.
I appreciate your taking the time to answer; I wish you could have taken a little more time to read. I also wish that there wasn't such a limit on how much one can post, or I would have been able to tell you that she has neck and shoulder pain, occasional pain and tingling in her wrists/hands, as well as her neuologist's response to the report.
I wanted to help her prepare for the time she needs to take off to work, give her some idea of possible scenarios. I realize you are limited in your ability to offer help online, but I am very disappointed.
Kathy
The only way to determine if surgery is needed is to actually perform a physical exam and correlate with the mri....something not possible on the internet. Sorry you were dissapointed but your request for "input" was a bit nonspecific.
It is impossible to know if her headache is related to her neck. Atypical migraines can be another possiblity. An epidural for her neck is reasonable to try first and see what symptoms, if any, are improved. Neck surgery for headaches is a very difficult proposition and may not be as helpful as one hopes. Surgery for neck and arm pain can be helpful in many instances. She needs a thorough evaluation and physical examination by a spine surgery specialist.