Cervical Disk Injury

[raz2206]

Hello, I was recently  (30 days ago)(via an MRI) told that I have a Large herniated Disk in the C-5/C-6 area which is pushing paramidline on the nerve. I did it by exercising of all things. My symptoms are slight neck shoulder, and right arm pain with some minor weakness in the right arm. My discomfort is worse in the evening but is treatable with a small dose of pain med when needed. I have even noticed some improvement over the last week or so. I have had 1 neurosurgeon evaluation so far and he says that I need to have the Anterior Cervical Disk surgery asap to fix the problem and prevent further damage. I have a 2nd opinion in the morning. I am curious about the following:
1) Can I try a more conservative method instead of jumping into surgery? If so, what is reccommended? My family Dr. is backing the nerosurgeon and has no other options for me at this point.
2)Should I get opinions from other types of Dr.'s such as Orthopedic, or Osteopath, etc...?
2) Should I get the surgery if my 2nd opinion reccommends it as well? Or should I get a 3rd opinion? My 3rd opinion is in mid June. Is that too late to wait?
3) I am a career minded healthy 37 year old and am scared to have the surgery due to the risks involved. I'm worried about the surgery causing new problems and or not fixing the problem that I have. What are the success rates of this type of sugery?
4)Do you think I could find a surgeon who would go in Posterior? The front of the neck scares me because you have to pass by additional areas such as voice box, throat, ect...
5)If I had the surgery, what should I expect Post-Op?
6) How do you know that you have the best surgeon? What questions should I ask before surgery?
Thanks for your help,

[LLWB]

Guess the drugs are taking affect, and my eyes are fuzzy. Sorry I got your name wrong

[trobey]

Sounds like you will be a day ahead of me.  I will have ACDF with titanium plate on June 5th.  I'm very nervous, but I 've been so miserable I am looking forward to relief.

I caught the corner or my chair at work and fell.  It ended up a whiplash type injury.  I have had 2 MRIs. both showing large broad based protrusion at c5-6.  Thecal sac indentation and flattening of the ventral cord.

My symptoms began all from my neck to the back of my head and to my right ear.  I had a cerivical epidural which releived all symptom for one month.  When sypmptoms came back I was doing Phyiscal therapy with manual traction and pain was in the middle of shoulderblade.  Due to a lack of communication with my neuro pain management doc (he didn't return calls for a 2month period) it was from Nov 14 to Feb 15 before I had the next epidural.  By this dime the pain was stabbing in my shoulder blade and right wrist.  I also was having problems with pain in my fingers.  I had 2nd epidural in Feb and never got more than 40% relief.  I continued PT and it only seem to keep the nerves irritatied.  I swapped pain mgmt doc (fired the old one) and was sent for an EMG.  EMG showed nerve irritation in both arms and hands.

I was referred to a neuro surgeon and friend who works for a neurology group had to talk the doc into taking my case because it is worker's comp.  Neurosurgeon said surgery should have been done months ago.  My right hand sweels and I have lost all feeling in it other than the occasions where my right thumb fells as though it is being slammed into a car door.  Symptoms are now moving to the left side with numbness and pain.  I now longer have control of fine motor skills involving my right hand.  Rt hand and arm are weakened.  After workers comp denied first request for surgery stating that they needed a copy of the EMG (which they already had) summit with the surgery request and the 2nd MRI that the surgeon reqested because my last on was 8 month old.... comp did approve the surger, so I'll go for preop this Wed and have surgery next Wed.  LLWB  keep me posted on how you do.  I imagine I'll be going in before  you come out.  Even though I don't know you I will pray for you and your recovery..

[LLWB]

Thank you for your prayers. Wow, you've been a long time getting to this point too. I will be glad to get this over with, as the headaches are getting worse, and if I hold my neck up, like looking over a steering wheel (I'm, vertically challanged) for very long, when I move it back down it feels like it's caught. I have to force it, then hear a LOUD pop. The pressure inside my neck feels awful. And my shoulders have started popping too. The left arm is getting a lot weaker. Even having trouble typing this note. Hope you all had as good a Holiday as possible and said a prayer for our soldiers. BBQ'ing a burger was the biggie for me. Spent most of rest of time on couch watching movies, or in bed.. Don't let worker's comp push you back to work too soon, or you won't heal right. Good luck to you all.

[mike1105]

raz-- thought you'd never ask.
there are a ton of websites you can go to. here is a link to just one of em.
http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html
The idea is to get your hed over your spine and keep it there. one of the ways that happens is by strengthening the md back muscles and stretching other muscles (pecs, scalenes,scms etc) that pull your head forward and flexed. Way too many people develop problems (pain), have MRIS and nerve tests which invariably have "findings" and then blame those findings as the casue of their pain. Even if some of these findings ARE causing pain, many times they can be correctd if we use our bodies as nature intended---- one of these ways is to have good posture. Keeping your head over your spine is one way to exhibit good posture. See a website by Jolie Bookspan and buy one or two of her books. She saved me. I am pain free now.

[itsme213]

My recommendations:

- avoid surgery if possible
- ask for further tests e.g. EMG for nerve damage
- find the best McKenzie-certified physical therapist
  http://www.mckenziemdt.org/faculty.cfm
- have the therapist do hand decompression
- improve posture, and do a therapist-approved progression of exercises
- buy the book "treat your own neck" by Mckenzie
- consider an inversion table to decompress late in the day / before bed

Body mechanics can have a whole lot to do with this. De-compressing the cervical column & the disks can be very helpful and some of the above steps can help.

Two other good books are:
- What to do for a pain in the neck - by Schofferman
- Do You Really Need Back Surgery?: A Surgeon's Guide to Back and Neck Pain and How to Choose Your Treatment - by

All the best.

[Sullsinger]

I am a 41 year old femaile professional musician, recently dx with c-4 thru c-6 radicupathy.

Lugging guitars, and cases are no longer an option for me. I cna't even pick up my neices or nephews. Severe left shoulder pain, index finger of left hand tingling, it even hurts when I cough.

I found that it is worse at night, and releif only comes when I take a Norco 7.5 and prop my left arm with pillows. I take a FCelebrex daily for the inflammation.

I see the Neurosurgeon next week. Going in I will say that surgery is out. Not an option for a touring musician. I am not totally disabled by the pain, and I want to follow a treatment protocol that will alleviate the pain, and be best practice for me to heal.


Any advice on non-surgical healing methods, pain management, etc?

Thanks.