forward head

[Tina1414]

my head is very forward after a fusion of c4-c7. There is almost 4 inches from my ears to my shoulders. I have hernations at t3/4 t6/7/8 with Slight leftward displacement of the thoracic spinal cord. & hern. l4-5 s1, Dr said i have tramatic cervical dystonia, I have hypotonic bladder and sexual dysfunictions.moderate to severe stenosis Mild scolisis 2 the left

Can a 3 level fusion that healed in a forward position have anything to do with my problems. ??

I have a large lump that start at c7 end at about t10. Its not just hunch back, but like swelling. My whole left side is numblike, The plate has 4 scws 2 in c4 2 in c7, is more on the left and is a little crocked. I was put in a brace for 4 months, i complained of upper back pain days after surgery and was conserned because the brace had me in a forward position.The surgon who did this has moved out of state.

[noneck]

I've been through that with Dr's. also they all protect each other. Try a cold laser at the PT office it really helps spasms, if they don't have one try to find one by calling everybody then ask you Dr. to send you there. We are our best advocates and unfortunately we all have this Dr. problem. Yes, I can drive it's hard to look left and right but I drive in one lane and try not to change lanes very much. I find the lane needed for my next turn and just stay there even if it moving slow. Our necks will always hurt to some degree but with Pain management Dr. P.T. and anything else that works for you, can make it livable. Concentrate on the spasms when they are relaxed, for me it's when I feel the best. I also have occipital blocks and I think they are related to the spasms. When our neck is in spasm and the muscles are pulling on the back of the skull everything hurts.

Keep in touch
Brian

[Tina1414]

Thank you so much. I am new at this and I hadn't heard from anyony. Thank you for the hope. But here in Toledo all the surgon know each other, I once went to get any a 2nd opinion thinking a 2nd pair of eyes would be good. My pain managment doc thought i should as well. But #2 know #1 and would not talk too me he said I sould just sick with #1, The doctor who did my surgery moved out of state did not tell me and left me no other to follow up with.

After my surgery he saw me once a month for 4 months, The brace he had me in but me in a forward head position. I started having pain inbetween my shoulders a week after surgery. He said it was normal. I was very pushy about the brace.

I use to manage a gym for ladys only, had lost 120 lbs and WAS very fit. So i feel i know good form and new how the body need to be inorder to funcion. The brace had 2 foam peaces made like a smile that velcoed in the back, The smile could be pulled apairt or pushed together to make it to wher your head would be looking down more. I hope I'm dissribing it right . Plus I'm the woulds worse speller.

We had a lot of surgical nurse's that worked out at the gym & they too would coment on how my brace was not right. One said she had be invald in thousand of 1 7 2 level fusion never a 3 level and she had never seen anyone put in a brace like mine. That my was 4 people with ms or something. She also thought I was way 2 forward. He just told that was why she was a nurse and he was a surgon, he was so rude I could talked to he after it was done.

How is your pain level now. God bless you , You have had WAY more done then me.
I only was fused from c4 to c7. I also have scws 2 in c4 and 2 in c7. its off set more on the left side, and crooked. In my 4 month in that brace he findly took it off, and sent me off to pain managment. at some point it has fell forwards into kyphosis my new ns said he thinks its fixed. So theres nothing they can do now.

I now have a bad looking hump from c7 to about t8 or 9 and now have botox injections because of pain in suboccipitals from having to be lookin up all the time. my hole left side is affected. I have bladder and i hate to say it but sexual dysfunction as well.
Its hard not to give up. I walk with a cain at 47 and can't drive a car because i can only turn my head 15 % too the left or right. I can not tilt at all to the left or right.My SCMs are really big and in constant spasm or in constant state of tension.

The sclenes are like hard has rocks really my hole neck is like a rock. neurolist said it tramic cervical dystonia. well can sit anymore. sorry I've gone on for so long.

Hey can you drive? thank you again for your help
                         Tina

[noneck]

Yes, mine is, you will hold your head in a forward position because with fusions like we have, we have a hard time if at all bending our neck back. Click on the
'loss of voice " and you will see what happened to me, you fit the description. Find a new neurosurgeon that specializes in total neck reconstruction, you need a young hot shot that is up on all the new surgeries. I found one and had my neck reconstructed. I'm 3 month post op and am back at my pain Dr's., pain will always be a issue but with the proper care it can be minimized. On the positive side the better I feel the more my neck is not forward. There is hope don't give up until you find a good surgeon and pain Dr. Keep us posted, MRI results etc...