Neck and Shoulder pain after C5-6 fusion.

[Roonie5038]

A little over a year ago, I had C5-6 fused. With a plate and screws inserted. Since then I am having trouble with pain in the neck and shoulder area just below the fusion area. I wake in the morning with a headache then turns to pain in lower neck and shoulders.
I have talked to the neurosurgeon who did the surgery and he shrugged his shoulders and said I have no idea and sent me back to my neurologist. He gave me a series of injections in both shoulders and the pain stopped for a couple days but then came right back. Then we tried message therapy, it helps but only for a short period. And I have tried changing my pillows on my bed and sleeping in different positions and nothing seems to help for long term.
What can I do?
Thanks
Maureen

[ninamaria5]

may I ask the name of the book you brought

[Humminbrd22]

Sorry to say but after 5 years( now 2012) things are still the same....the only relief is Pain meds witch now is like giving your right arm for them...We are all treated like a bunch of low lives, junkies, drug addicts, all because of this surgery that obviously does NOT work and makes live even harder to live...WTF is a person to do !!!???!!!

[jgbounds]

Amen, I hear that!!!

[treva85]

I also had a  fusion at C-6 with a donor bone..screws and titanium plate Sept of 2011. I felt good for the first 4 weeks until I stopped taking the pain pills. Wow after that the pain in my neck came back plus pain down my arm sometimes also burning. I also have shoulder pain and weakness in only my right arm.  It's been almost a year since my surgery and I'm still seeing lots of doctors. I had injection that didn't work at all and taking lots of pain pills. I had a nerve study and it does show positive for nerve damage but no one can figure out where the damage point is. After a year still having neck,shoulder and arm pain. But my question is, I've been having lots of problems with my vision only in my right eye also strange feeling, numbness, tinling on my right toes. Has anyone had this problem.    Good luck to all.

[rickie2211]

on 8/8/2008 i had a a plate and screws in the front to relace 2 hurniated discs,was ok for the first year after that started to feel like my head was too heavy for my neck! went back to ns and he said after mri,ct,and mylogram everything was great the pain got so bad that i couldnt even stand up straight. so i checked out a dr at the hospital near my sister and after viewing results from dr that did the surgery found that the plate and screws never fused! He said i would need to have another surgery to stabilize my neck and on 3/14/2011 2 rodes and screw put in the back to stabilize. and i am in pain every day! the migraines i have always suffered from have gotten 10 x worse. The drs keep telling me that there is nothing in my tests to show that i would be in any pain at all, and i am already having trouble standing up straight again, he said i should try going back to work to forget about the pain that shouldnt be there! so now im crazy and the pain is all in my head???????

[nettleton44]

Should have a artificial disc instead of fusion. See if you can have it replaced. Doctors don't suggest because some insurance companies don't cover so they go with ones that will pay them ( fusions)

[raptor57]

tucsondee, I  feel your pain. I fell off of an aircraft about 10' and landed on the back of my head was rushed to the hospital and was induced into a coma for 5 days. Upon waking up i was rushed to, surgury and fused from 3thru 7. I went to rehab to learn to walk again for approx 1 yr and exper vertigo bad, lots of pain and unstable. workman's comp said that i should be as good as new and sent me to  their doc which ( i was advised that this would happen) i saw never examined me but Declared that i was faking. so W/C stopped me from seeing any doc's and said that i should return to work . So i got in touch with THEIR DOC and said to him that if he truly believed that i was faking then he should have no problem with allowing me to go back to work ,HE SAID NO!!. I informed my att. that W/c was about to make me have a nervious B/D and that i wanted to settle so i could try to get some help and some relief. I am retired now and the pain in myneck and the Headaches continue daily nonstop. I have tried everything from tens unit to steriod injections and i have dibietes and the injection affect my B/S I also take hydro 3 times a day because the pain affects my B/S as well. Im say all, of this to tell you that i'm 58 yrs old and was a workaholic all of my life and now i'm reduced to depression and constant pain so, i Hear you and can relate to you circumstance. I don't know where to turn nor do i want to continue with the constant pain.  My Pain Doc tells me that he will find an answer.  I can only hope. I wish you well and i'll Pray for you as well  GOD BLESS