c6-7 not fused and permanent rotator cuff tendonitis/elbow tendonitis/myofacial

[christineh]

I found out after doc ordered a CT scan that after surgery with screws and plates and donor bone, c4-5 is fused but c6-7 is not.  Doctor says no restrictions and do things "ad lib".  what the heck does "ad lib" mean?  I am in constant pain daily and prescribed darvocet.  I am tired of taking it...it doesn't stop the pain.  Is it wise to do anyting I want with c6-7 not fused?  can I bowl, continue heavy overhead lifting, take my kids to the amusement park and ride all rides? also, after 2 mos of PT, tendonitis is still in rotator cuff and doc said if that didn't help, myofascial pain syndrom (syndrome) in shoulder.  what is that?  also, after tendonitis of both elbows, now inside and outside of elbows hurt, the inside feels like something is pulling if i do too much and there is tingling and numbness in the pinky and ring  fingers, mainly in the left.  Do these problems ever disapate with treatment or will they be lifelong?

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

I cannot give you formal clinical advice such as medical restrictions as the website is purely educational

Its not clear from your post whether C6-7 was supposed to be fixed or not, or wether there is any problems with C6-7. The are above and below the fixation can remain unstable or even become more unstable if already affected. Restrictions then depend on the presence of a problem above or below the fixation (if the fixation went well then this area is stable and safe).

This type of surgery is to prevent neurological disability from compression of the spinal cord or its roots. The effect on pain is variable - some patients improve some may not. If the pain is originating in tissues other than the disc or from stress caused by the disc, then it may not respond to fixation of the spine. Specific treatment of the muscle or ligament etc involved would be more appropraite ie injections of anesthetic or steroids or musscle relaxants or posture training.

Tingling and numbness in the pinky and ring fingers can be caused by a compression of the ulnar nerve, a common area of compression is at the elbow (just behind the inner bone area). A nerve conduction study and EMG at the neurologists office can diagnose it and assess the severity and need for a possible surgical release of the nerve from compression

Good luck

[mike1105]

christine---  i do not know why you had the neck surgery---was there an accident or direct, acute trauma???   regardless, the neck surgery was probably never going to help your myofascial issues, so hopefully you did not have the surgery for that reason..  myofascial pain syndrome is basically tightness in the web like fascial system that keeps our body functioning as one unit. when certain areas get tight from poor posture, overuse, or chronic tension, other areas compensate and also become tight. eventually, you end up feeling like you are in a straightjacket. this was me for 2 1/2 years. traditional PT did nothing for me. the therapist told me to do certain stretches, ride the bike, and then he'd manually manipulate me for maybe 10 minutes. this happenned 2-3 x per week. the fascial system is powerful stubborn and strong, and needs way more hands on attention that that. go to john barnes website and read about the syndrome and how he and his staff treat it at his myfascial rlease centers. i am now finishing my 5th week of treatment (3 in december and 2 this month) and i feel 70% better. i can breathe, my neck no longer hurts, the numbness in my arms and fingers is getting better. anyway, check the website. they have clinics in pa and az. they and they alone (i've been through the mill, believe me--- 3 surgeries and 2 trips to the mayo clinic) are helping me get my life back. it may be that you do not have tendonitis at all. if the muscles (which are connected to the tendons) are tightened, so are the tendons and they "pull" and that is why you feel pain. it would be odd, don't you think, to have tendonitis in so many places at once??????  good luck.

[christineh]

well, i had surgery because of repetitive motion of heavy, overhead lifting resulting in 2 herniated discs which was first diagnosed as a cervical strain when i first went to doc complaining of neck and right arm pain. this is how it all started.  tendonitis left elbow in 2003, tendonitis right elbow, and cervical strain 2005. 2 months of physical therapy and back to work for 1 hour. went to emergency room and diagnosed with tendonitis of shoulder.  whent back to doc who took mri that showed small tear of rotator cuff in right shoulder and 2 herniated discs.  they put off rotator cuff surgery until discs were repaired.  went back to another doc of IC choice for shoulder after disc surgery who said tendonitis and no tear and physical therapy and/or steroid injections if thearpy didn't work.  3 wks of PT.  no improvement, he refused to give steroid shot and he released me to full duty with a report full of lies, but I had quit job.  let him know, still in pain and complained.  IC sent me to IME who said tendonitis and 4 wks of pt if that didn't work, steroid shot, if that didn't work his diagnosis would be myofascial pain syndrome and arthritis.  after therapy, helped some, doc said shot wouldn't work on tendonitis, but maybe for the arthritis if i used my own insurance, he would do it.  by now i think you could guess this is w/c.  neck doc said come back in april since c6-7 not fused to get another ct scan but i can go back to heavy, overhead lifting...ha, ha.  sounds funny to me.  so yes, i had tendonitis in all those places, at least for sure in elbows.

[tiggeressa]

HELLO I AM WRITING TO ANYONE AN EVERYONE THAT HAS HAD THE SAME SURGERY I JUST WENT THROUGH. I HAD VERY BAD NECK AN SHOULDER PAIN,NUMBNESS AN TINGLING IN MY RIGHT ARM AND THUMB,AN POINT FINGER.MY DOCTOR SAID I HAD 3 DISCS THAT WERE FLAT AS A TIRE PRESSING DOWN AN CAUSING PINCHED NERVES.HE ADVISED THAT THEY ALSO WERE PRESSING AGAINST MY SPINALCORD.HE SHOWED ME THE MRI AND I WAS IN AGREEMENT WITH HIM THAT I DID NEED THE SURGERY.HE REPLACED C4,C5,C6, I BELIEVE. ANYWAY AFTER THE SURGERY I WAS IN ALOT OF PAIN DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO SWALLOW WELL AT FIRST.THEN AS TIME HAS WENT BY,WELL THAT PART SEEMS TO BE GETTING BETTER,BUT THE PART THAT I AM REALLY CONCERN WITH IS THAT I DO NOT HAVE ANY ENEGY,NOR ANY STRENTH IN MY ARMS AN HANDS. I MEAN I CAN LIFT A SPOON,BUT LITTLE THINGS LIKE A BOTTLE OR CAN COKE IT IS VERY HARD.WHEN I TRY TO WRITE ANYTHING MY HAND WRITING IS AWFUL AN I GET TIRED AFTER WRITING THE SECOND WORD. I JUST HAD MY SURGERY ON FEB.14TH,I KNOW SOME OF THIS MAY BE NORMAL AFTER SURGERY, BUT MY QUESTION IS HOW LONG AND SHOULD I FORCE MYSELF TO WRITE OR EXCERCISE MY ARMS TO STRENGHTEN THEM,OR DO I JUST WAIT FOR THIS TIME IN HEALING AN EVERYTHING WILL COME BACK SLOWLY. I JUST HATE SEEING EVERYONE DO FOR ME AND I FEEL SO HELPLESS. PLEASE IF ANYONE IS GOING THROUTH THIS OR HAS PLEASE TELL ME HOW YOU DELT WITH IT.
  ONE OTHER THING I DID NOT HAVE A CHOICE IN NOT HAVING THE SURGERY,BECAUSE IT WAS PRESSING ON MY SPINALCORD,WHICH MY DOCTOR TOLD ME LATER ON IT COULD LEAD ME TO BE PARALYZED.
MY DOCTOR IS A WELL RESPECTED DOCTOR AN DOES SURGERY OF THIS MATTER EVERYDAY.I HAVE HEARD NOTHING NEGATIVE ABOUT HIM AN I WOULD USE HIM IN THE FUTURE IF I HAD TO,WHICH I SURE I WANT NEED TO,BUT MY POINT IS I ASKED HIM BEFORE SURGERY HOW MANY OF THE SAME EXACT PROCEDURE I WAS HAVING HAD HE DONE.I THOUGHT HE MIGHT HAVE DONE 5 OR 6 ,BUT I FOUND OUT HE HAS DONE 600 PLUS OF THE SAME SURGERY. I AM ASKING YOU THIS QUESTIONS BECAUSE HE IS SO VERY BUSY AND I JUST WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW OTHERS FEEL NOW THAT THEY HAVE HAD THE SURGERY.
                          THANK YOU SO KINDLY FOR LISTENING,
                                   TIGGERESSA

[mike1105]

christine........... wow.    let me tell you something. i was a very busy successful dentist and i had to give it all up because of problems similar to yours. i had 2 shoulder arthrospcopies (L and R) and a minimally invasive necks surgery (no discs removed- he went in through the back through a 1/2 inch incision and widened the foramen around 2 nerve roots becuse a ct myelogram showed some narrowing and because i had a decent result from a nerve block which knocked out alot of the pain). this was 1-1 1/2 years ago after being in pain for a whole year--- neck, shoulders, chest, elbows-- u name it. i was an overly avid tennis player, and dentistry required some awkward positioning/posture.i got all kinds of different diagnoses. Look, i honestly doubt you have genuine tendonitis in all those palces. sounds to me like myofascial pain syndrome. please go to john barnes website (myofascial release) and read, read, read. i just got done with my latest program and i feel great. 85% of pain is gone. if you're out of alignment, if muscles are shortened due to overuse, eventually you feel it all over your body. it was hard for me to believe this diagnopsis because it is vague and not operable and it does not show up on tests. but it's real. i'm living proof.