Pain after anterior cervical fusion

[Jan316]

Anyone out there have an anterior cervical fusion?. I had c4-7 fused w/plating and bone grafting. I am 6 weeks post op and still experiencing bilateral arm pain and throbbing and some shoulder and neck pain. My stamina seems to be gone and I am frustrated, any advice, Scheduled to return to work in 1 week.

[bev62]

I had the same surgery last Nov C5-C7 and I have the same kind of pain.  I still take Demeral and Robaxin every for hours.  The pain has not improved at all.  My doctor has done every test that could be thought of and says everything is normal.  I still have not been able to return to work.

If you are just six weeks post-op, you could still improve.  It takes a long time for nerves to heal.  I would ask your doctor about giving you a few more weeks off work and just give yourself a little more time to heal.

[cheesecloth]

I have had C5-C7 three weeks ago & the pain & numbness has not gone. Every movement is torture but I am hoping in time I will be back to normal. I would hate to think I have gone through surgery to no avail

[mcarolbabe]

I just had cervical neck surgery on C5-C6. I was in an Spinemark Advent Disk Study.  I have had pain for over six years, after many years of chiropractic, cold laser, acupunture and physical therapy and no pain relief I was forced into surgery due to no neck or body exercise, including swimming could control the pain(I didn't try meds, only cold and heat therapy).  I have no prior health problems, nor do I smoke or drink or do ddrugs!  I had my surgery on August 1st, 2008 after I could no longer drive my car, hold a job, clean the house, and my neck and hands neck and arms began to swell with constant pain.  The study would determine if you would get the fusion or the disk.  The doctor who came highly recommended did the surgery and the day after surgery I was discharged to home care with hydrocotidone.  On Sunday, two days after the surgery, I broke out in a extremely bubbly huge blistering rash on both legs from the surgical adhesive patches that were put on my skin, not only did I feel in pain but was trying every remedy I could think of to aleivate the pain from the rash and the surgery.  By Tuesday, the meds were not working, I could not get out of bed, or eat.  At that time muscle relaxers were given and they only lasted two days.  The following week I ended up in the ER on the recommendation of Spinmark and my doctors office as they informed me that there was NOTHING that anyone could do for me to help with the pain.  In the last and current week several attempts were made to get help to prevent me from going into the hospital.  The doctor's Physician assistant agreed to see me finally after the ER visit and demanded that pain is subjective and being it was only two weeks from surgery I was complaining too much but they would admit me into the hospital at my cost for pain control. (Remember, this is a study which Advent wants my record information but they don't want to pay for the results.)  What forces me to continue to stay in a program that wants my medical data but only wants to pay for the surgery and then if you have a problem wants you to go elsewhere to get follow up treatments which you pay for.  Does this constitute a true study?  The doctor is still out of town, I will probably go again to the ER for more pain management and find another doctor for follow up.  I won't go back to the Advent Study as they have totally dropped the ball.  They can't do a true study without followup visits so why do I have to pay for these visits when they won't see me when I have a problem and only want to see me after the fact that a problem exists.  I have never tolerated any pain meds and have know this since 1998 after a foot surgery which took six doctors to get the foot back to normal and pain free. The doctor's staff was extremely unresponsive to my health care needs and as of today I don't know what or who will continue to monitor my health care needs as nothing at the Texas Back Institue in Plano, TX has shown me any true standard of care.  When I went to the Institute for my first visit and complained of neck and shoulder pain, they did a MRI on my lumbar region and I had to redo an MRI on my neck and arms the neck day due to their stupidity.  No one will admit who was responsible for that mistake.  Not too mention when they took me to my bed after surgery, a big black bug jumped out of the bed, no one helped with the nurse call button so I was trying to call the nurse with the button that gives you pain medication.  This whole situation has been a medical nightmare.  I like you, 15 days later and no relief from the pain.  I only did the surgery because everyone told me that I could not get disability and now I wonder will I ever even be able to do average day to day chores again?????   How will I live???  I want to get better so I can work again, but I feel the medical field is like all other business and the quality of our lives falls into our own hands.  I will loose my cobra insurance at the end of this year and the doctors won't put me on disability and I can get a job if I can't drive, can't move, or turn my head and my arms, and neck hurt 500%+ more than before.  At least then, I could sleep at night and did not cry because of the pain.  I can only use my tens machine, heating pad, ice packs and back vibrator and vibrating chair so long to help the pain.  I tried walking but lost my footing, so I am using the exercise bike and doing yoga, chanting, eating lite, taking miralax, but nothing will control the pain so I can recover.  My advice to everyone on this site, DO NOT GET SUCKED INTO A STUDY AS THERE IWILL ONLY BE FOLLOWUP AT YOUR EXPENSE.  IF THE DOCTOR WHO DID THE STUDY IS NOT AVAILABLE NO ONE WILL COME TO YOUR RESCUE AND HOW CAN THIS BE A TRUE STUDY OR IS IT ONLY THAT THEY WANT YOU TO TRY THE SURGERY HOPING YOU HAVE PROBLEMS SO THAT THEIR DISK LOOKS LIKE THE BEST WAY TO GO????????

[catwoman123]

Hi sorry to add to the negative feedback but had same op 2 years ago and it didnt work for me. Still get bilateral arm pain and upper back and neck pain. It simply