shuke
Black Ice Skeptic
Back in 2014 I have a lot of pain in my neck/shoulder/arm. Saw an orthopedic doc, he said I had some nerve pinching in my neck as well as some rotator cuff issues. I got a steroid shot in my shoulder and went through a lot of physical therapy to get my range of motion and strength back.
I've instituted a lot of the stretches and exercises into my daily routine. Everything has been doing great. Until this past November. Horrific pain. Couldn't lay down, couldn't lift anything. For about 6 weeks, a cough or sneeze would have me close to tears. I went back to that same practice but the guy I saw previously wasn't there any more. New guy felt this was all in my neck so sent me to a chiropractor. Did 6 or so visits there, they gave me some exercises, and with that and rest I started feeling better.
As part of my pre-op appointment with my primary doctor in December before my foot surgery, I told him I had some lingering pain so he referred me to a physical med MD in his practice after I had my surgery. I saw her last week and she ordered an MRI. Upon review she said this was something she didn't think she could treat so referred me to the preeminent spine practice in town.
Saw the guy there today. He said he expected me to be a lot worse than I presented based on my MRI. Says I have three bulging discs and narrowing around my spinal cord. In two of those levels the disc looks like it has protruded onto the cord. He says really only thing that will fix this is fusion. This would be fusion of C4 through C7 and I'm only 47 years old.
He didn't try to pressure me into it or anything, said that I can choose to wait and do it whenever I felt. He said the only risk with waiting, is if something progressed quickly and damaged my spinal cord, that the healing can take a while.
Anyone have cervical fusion? My limited research today says these lower levels would reduce range of motion about 20% flexion/extension and only 15% side-to-side.
This was a complete shock to me. Joint fusion scares me because of accelerated wear in adjacent joints. Plus the reduced lack of motion at my age.
I've instituted a lot of the stretches and exercises into my daily routine. Everything has been doing great. Until this past November. Horrific pain. Couldn't lay down, couldn't lift anything. For about 6 weeks, a cough or sneeze would have me close to tears. I went back to that same practice but the guy I saw previously wasn't there any more. New guy felt this was all in my neck so sent me to a chiropractor. Did 6 or so visits there, they gave me some exercises, and with that and rest I started feeling better.
As part of my pre-op appointment with my primary doctor in December before my foot surgery, I told him I had some lingering pain so he referred me to a physical med MD in his practice after I had my surgery. I saw her last week and she ordered an MRI. Upon review she said this was something she didn't think she could treat so referred me to the preeminent spine practice in town.
Saw the guy there today. He said he expected me to be a lot worse than I presented based on my MRI. Says I have three bulging discs and narrowing around my spinal cord. In two of those levels the disc looks like it has protruded onto the cord. He says really only thing that will fix this is fusion. This would be fusion of C4 through C7 and I'm only 47 years old.
He didn't try to pressure me into it or anything, said that I can choose to wait and do it whenever I felt. He said the only risk with waiting, is if something progressed quickly and damaged my spinal cord, that the healing can take a while.
Anyone have cervical fusion? My limited research today says these lower levels would reduce range of motion about 20% flexion/extension and only 15% side-to-side.
This was a complete shock to me. Joint fusion scares me because of accelerated wear in adjacent joints. Plus the reduced lack of motion at my age.