Neck surgery -Disc herniation - continued pain

[julyrose]

I had neck surgery on Nov 26, 2004 for disk herniation on C5, C6, and C7.  Was perform bone graft and titanium frame was placed.  Surgery was excellent.  I did not loose energy and was very alert after surgery.  Five days later I noticed swelling around the incision.  Surgeon said my dura was leaking during surgery and he had patched it.  Same dura was leaking again.  He performed another surgery on Dec 21 to patch the leak.  It failed too.  After that I was placed flat on bed for 7 days.  Spinal fluid was discharged from my lumbar to reduce spinal fluid pressure on my cervical.  Seven days later, patch was healed and I was sent home.

Because I lost spinal fluid, I was too weak and was dizzy for over 3 months.  Was treated with Antivert.  After dizziness was gone, I started getting flashes inside by brain.  I started breathing exercise daily for 30-40 minutes.  That helped eliminate the flashes in the next 2 months.  In the same time, I slowly regained my physical strength.

About 1 month after the 2nd surgery, I felt heaviness/stuffiness in right side of my neck.  Surgeon said it should go away once the surgery gets healed.  Intensity of heaviness has gone down significantly these days, although I still feel something is stuck inside my neck.  What is it?  I occasionally get needle point pinch pain inside my neck, sometimes around the incision, sometimes 1 to 2 inch above or below incision.  However, pinch pain occurs at only one location at a time, although location is different at different times as described above.  What is causing it?  Is there any relief for this?  Will it go away by itself?  At times, I feel constant pinch just below right side of my chin or middle of right side of my neck and it is slightly painful.  Why all this after 4 months of surgery?  Should not it be healing time? I also notice, when I bend my neck backward, the constant pinch below my chin or stuffiness inside my neck appears to go down.  Should I continue bending my neck backward occasionally to help reduce the stuffiness or pinching in my neck? Interesting, when I belch out, the stuffiness/pain gets reduced.  Also, when I wake up in the morning, pain is very minimal to none.  As day go by, pain gets pronounced.  I need to take pain medication (Tylenol, Advil) before I go to bed.  Any suggestion or help will be greatly appreciated.

[Tango2u32]

Hi!  I was hurt at work after heavy lifting felt my neck very stiff, my back was hurting and my legs were feeling very heavy also, I had pain in both of my shoulders.  Two weeks after that at work I was having a lot pain on both of my arms and hands. Before that I was having triggers fingers and locks finger on my left hand.  Than two week after the incident above the trigger fingers were coming to my right hand also.  This really call my attention to go to the emergency room my major concern at that time was my fingers locking on me along with trigers fingers on both hands.  I did told the doctor about the heavy lifting I usually do at work  and the incident of 2/15/2004 with heavy bags of trashs twixting and forcing myself to lift it.  The Doctor check my shoulders and back and told me it was just sore because of the heavy lifting.  He told me I had carpal tunnel and Triggers fingers on hands.  after that I was treating with doctor George White from Orlando, Florida.  He was treating me for the carpal tunnel and triggers fingers, my back wasn't bothering much at that time the soreness went away but after two or three months my hand pain was increasing a lot with a lot of spasm in my back, today I'm being diagnose with chronic back and neck pain.  This has gone out of hand the pain is coming to my legs both of them, my shouldels the pain in the lower back has gotten so bad that it brough me pain and numbness in the left testicles along with pain coming to my rectum my urination has increase I felt a lot of urgency, I'm on flexeril, Vicodin HP, Naproxen, and tramadol. I got a lot of numbness in different part of my body specially my buttock, weakeness and my back and neck are getting very stiff along with a lot of spasm.  I'am 32 years old I had an three MRI the last being on the cleveland Clinic on 7/21/2005.  I really need to know what can be done to control this symptoms.  And if I need surgery I have being on physical therapy already three times, and not enought improvement have being obtained.  what else can be done for me...

Please send me a response!

Thank You!

[catalac]

Hi. I am a 46 year old female. about 2 years ago I had posterior neck surgery to remove one cervical disc and to remove excessive boney growth from facet joints in order to release nerve roots.He did not do spinal fusion surgery.Of course my neck is constantly sore and my muscles always tight. Constantly have shoulder pain too. Since then I have developed vibrating sensation in upper lip and extreme burning sensation in my nose.Also presented myself to my neurologists about one year ago with itchy rash on face,stiff neck,headaches in back of head throbbing with my heartbeat.He treated me for shingles with neurontin.MRI was OK. The neurontin seemed to help.  I havent taken the neurontin for about one month now.  I started having muscle twitching in right upper arm but neurontin did not help this symptom. Now i am experiencing tremors inside my body.It starts inside my trunk then moves down to my legs and up to upper extremities.I have weakness in both arms.Some times when I wake up I have vision trouble.Its like things look closer than they really are or,they look further away.I also have severe motion sickness for 4 years.Can all this be happening because of slippage in cervical disc? Or maybe because Im not taking neyrontin? It seems more serious to me like maybe ALS or something else. I have an appointment with doctor but not for a while. If anyone can shedd some light on this I would appreciate it.  Thanks

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-PW]

Its difficult to tell what exactly is causing the persistent discomfort without seeing you, your scans, and having more information. This type of neck surgery prevents any furhter spinal cord damage from occurring but does not gaurantee pain freedom. THere may be a certain degree of scar tissue remaining that may cause persistent pain or stiffness. This may get better over time and onyl time will tell. Physical therapy by a skilled cervical physical therapist may help also. I'm not sure if a postop MRI was done to look or a persistent spinal fluid collection or residual herniation?
Good luck

[JoAnnaRF]

Julyrose:
I'm sorry you're having so many problems following surgery. I can empathize with you but I had problems following a lumbar surgery. Hopefully the doc will have some answers for you. Also I have found a message board that is very active with people in simular circumstances that can relate what happened to them and they offer such great support and advice. It's at
Spine-health.com and you just go to "Back Talk". I have found that it mainly helps to feel like you are not alone. The only other piece of advice I can offer is that you keep asking your doctor for the answers you need. The healing process can take a long time but it also doesn't take long for ignored problems to become permanent and chronic. If he/she doesn't give you the help you need then seek 2nd and 3rd opinions. At least if they are all the same you will have peace of mind. Don't worry about "bugging" the doc with questions and concerns, after all that is what you are paying him for.
I feel for you and wish you all the best!

[javad]

hi thank
i have been diagnosed with stenosis in cervical c5 c6
no myalopthy  no herniation no other pathology
physioneurologi finding are neurona motora disfunctioning
symptoms
start 2003 with cold weather hit my neck felt very shaky fo 8 to 10 second  my right lege start having problem moving
lasted 1 houer took a beer and went home
after that i start having problem if i eat beef or coka kola or pepsi went to dr. said it was circulation
did electro cardi was normal
until 01 05 05 i was unable to hold my balance and felt about 3 feet flat like stone i belive iwas saved by couple of desk i hit onthe way falling on my lower bacl
i still contiue falling by apri i starat felling sharp painon my right shoulder if use my finger or i try to lifdt someting up
may and ju 2005 i star having sever pain on my lefy leg couldnt walk strait couldnt set down couldnt sleep but i was walkin do to nesesity of life continued that way until aguest doing yoga exercice loction hipnosis you named i did dr just charged consultation and gave me all kind of pain peel
september24 mri showed degeneration of my c5 c6 comperesd
my dr said well we take two verterbra out fiusion and plat you are ok
but you may complicat never walk again it is the risk it may happen so do you belive if i can imagin of feromenctomy or any means of enlarging la foramen so de comperesion takes place
well thank you god belass please forgive if i have mistake writting if you answer i papreciate very much

[julyrose]

Also, i like to add that i never had this kind of pain before the surgery.  it started four months after the surgery.  Pain stays around the neck area. it does not shoot down any other part of the body.  Thanks.

[julyrose]

Additional information if that helps!  I am 49 year old male.  i had surgery because my left hand was too weak and started twisting itself.  No pain ever anywhere.  Thanks.