Headaches and pain following anterior cervical discectomy.

[Sugar Fairy]

I am 2 years post-op anterior cervical discectomy with fusion to relieve compression on spinal cord at c5/c6 level.  Had lots of pain and progressive leg weakness, right arm pain, and unable to write + loss of balance.  I have had 18 months of constant neck pain since the surgery, worse in the night and on wakening.  Every morning waking with severe headache and pain radiating from back of head to over eyes and sometimes down one side of face. This  feels like a combination of nerve pain and a peculiar sensation, as if the bones at the back of my neck are being stretched from the inside.
Finally, after 18 months, the stretching pain has eased but I still have the headaches 2-3 times a week.  On my 2 year check with the Neurosurgeon he said the pain could have been due to the titanium cage having been too big and that my pain should continue to improve, or it is just that my body has taken longer to adjust to surgery.
I also still have difficulty swallowing and have always felt that something is pressing against my throat, and I have a weak voice, my arm pain is worse than before the surgery.  My legs are now stronger and the neck pain I had prior to the surgery has gone.
Do you think these headaches will go and the swallowing improve.  If not do I have any other options.  I was realistic about the surgery and did not expect miracles after having had this problem for over 24 years (now 48), but I am finding the pain so debilitating.  I have a desk job which does aggravate the symptoms. Also, will there be any long-term effects of the cage being too big.

Thank you

[Sugar Fairy]

I assume that you have had an MRI scan and not just an x-ray to show degenerative changes.  If not I think you would be advised to have one as they show a greater degree of accuracy as regards nerve compression etc.  I think you then need some clarification from your neurosurgeon as to the extent of the damage.  If you do not have spinal cord compression then Physiotherapy combined with appropriate medication can prove very effective. There are medications specifically for NERVE pain that are very effective Gabapentin/Pregablin? These are primarily anti-convulsants so they do have a sedative effect and you have to build up dose gradually. Acupuncture can help also for pain relief.  I would discuss with your Dr and then try conservative methods first before embarking on the surgical root unless there are symptoms showing spinal cord compression, which is a different ballgame altogether and then surgery unfortunately is sometimes your only alternative, depending on severity of symptoms.

I hope this is of some use to you.  I speak from having such problems for over 20 years.  I have worked in the medical profession for a long time and find Drs are generally quite bad at explaining anything to patients, physiotherapists are a much better source of information and will often take the time to explain in english what is going on.  

I hope you are pain free soon.

[nataraj]

Hello!
I had anterior cervical fusion on nov 1st 2005 on C4-C5,C5-C6 disks. My neouro surgeon replaced the heriniated discs with a bone graft from bone bank. Its been three and half months now. The pain I had before the surgery was gone. But my right arm is still weak and getting numbness in my right side face and right leg. Couple of weeks ago I made a mistake of lifting my nephew who is 10 yrs old. He fractured his leg and I forgot about my surgery and lifted him. I am worried because of that something would have happened to the neck. Is there any ideas when this numbness and weakness will go and when can I resume to my regular activities like lifting a carry on lugguage and putting it in a air line cabin etc., for that matter lifting anything more than 10 pounds.. Please advice.

Thanks

[lindy47]

I had this surgery on 2/27/2006.  I was out and about two days later, the only problem I seem to have is in my throat (swallowing & choking at night).  I have some pain in one shoulder but not severe.  Prior to surgery I was experiencing a lot of neck and arm pain (severe arm pain felt like something was squeezing my muscles really hard).  I had a lot of bone spurs removed and had C-5/6 through C-6/7 and a bone graft.

I like reading your posts.

[FibroFogger]

I ruptured a disc and had a C5-6 anterior fusion in January 2005.  Shortly thereafter, I started having pain throughout my body.  My lower legs have major edema (consistently 11-17+ on an inflammation test where <3 is normal) and I developed red star or snowflake patterns on my lower legs that are painful to touch.  Off to the side of both elbows and knees are trigger points for pain.  After testing by many specialists for rheumatoid arthritis, ms, lupus and other diseases, my diagnosis is fibromyalgia.  Now, I can take one step forward, but the succeeding steps make my legs feel heavier and heavier, almost like there is lead in each leg, and after about four or five steps I cannot pick my legs up to move, and I freeze in place in pain.  I can go down stairs, but cannot even go up two or more stairs.  Also, when I am motionless, anything pressing on my left leg from my thigh to my hip (either from the top or bottom, such as a bed or a chair) causes me extreme pain.  When I stand for more than a couple of minutes, the same thing happens in my left leg.  In other words, I can't move or sit or stand, and I feel like I am between a rock and a hard place.  I take Neurontin, Nortriptylene, Trazadone, pain killers and muscle relaxers for my pain.  I go to physical therapy in a warm pool three times a week.  I can barely make it from my car to the supermarket, where I need an electric scooter to get around the store.  I am in the process of purchasing an electric scooter and am nearly totally disabled and almost housebound.  If my neurosurgeon had taken a better history, he would have found out that I suffered migraines, had irritable bowel syndrome and had TMJ surgery, all precursors to fibromyalgia (which I did not know).

I have two questions:  (1) Should my neurosurgeon have taken a better history and told me I was in a high-risk category for fibromyalgia secondary to the trauma of a fusion?  (2) Are there people that have the same symptoms as I do and is there anything else I can do to ease my pain?

Thank you for listening.

[stevie10959]

i had cervical discectomy for c4-6 with metal plate & fusion on 1/23/06 and feel worse than I did before the surgery..I also have fibromyalgia but was diagnoiced 5years ago with it...It does not feel any different since my suregey however it is possible the trauma of your surgery brought out the fibro....This is usually do to accidents and body trauma which causes fibro..I take muscle relaxers for the fibro but can find no help for the neck pain...Have been on vicodin for 1 1/2years prior to surgery and now have high liver enzymes so was perscribed straight codiene which also barley takes the edge off my pain. Any suggestions anything without tylenol in it.

[wapy1]

i had anterior cervical fusion on C5 and C6 just 3 months ago .  I had a herniated disk.  The injury was years ago and I suffered from bouts of neck pain and periodic hand numbing.  However, 3 months after surgery - even tho the hand numbing has stopped, I have lots of pain in-between my shoulder blades, and recently my legs are really uncomfortable.  Anyone else have this?  What is up with the legs?