Anyone have a neck vertebrae fused?

[Pulsar]

Ended up in the ER last week because of horrible pain, and it turned out to be a bulging disk and a vertebrae that has grown back incorrect over the last 20 years after being broken. The 'new' bone is impinging on the nerve that handles my right back and right arm. The pain meds are keeping me semi-upright, but if I go off them I'm nearly in tears with it.

I've never had to deal with prolonged pain like this - for the last two weeks it's been like someone is jamming a hot poker in my neck and right elbow.

Anyone ever deal with something like this? Disk is between A4 and A5, and it looks like A5 is the vertebrae that broke in the past, probably during a bad car accident I was in.

 

[lxskllr]

My lower back's fucked. I assume one or more blown discs. It pretty much always hurts, but when it really goes I can barely move. Never been to a doctor, cause all they can offer is drugs and surgery. I've always been skeptical of legal drugs, and surgery's an expensive crap shoot. That's last on my list of things to try.

If it were me, and I wanted surgery, I'd look into having the problematic bone shaved down. Otherwise...

Life is pain. Get over it!

 

[Hans Gruber]

Don't do it. Live with the pain.

 

[pcgeek11]

Don't do it. Live with the pain.

Why? Serious.

 

[BoomerD]

Since you said it's your neck, I presume you mean between C4 and C5...IMO, there's no "A" designation.

https://www.mayfieldclinic.com/PE-AnatSpine.htm

anyway, thankfully, no. I've NEVER had a disk fusion for any of my fucked-up back problems. At one point, my neurosurgeon was talking about a disk replacement OR fusion for a couple of my lumbar disks...then he determined there was just too much damage in too many places to fix with surgery. "Learn to live on pain meds."
You MIGHT get some relief from steroidal epidural injections...or you might not. Each person is different. I thought they worked well for a few weeks, but not as long as the doctor hoped. (but the pain doc who did the injections gave a "cocktail" in the IV before the procedure that was GREAT! A mix of fentanyl and versed..."Make mine a double, Doc!" Unfortunately, it wore off way too quickly...and they wouldn't give me any "for the road."

I have a badly bulging disk at C6-C7 that gives me problems from time to time. Pain that moves around from spot to spot in my right arm...every place I've ever hurt in my life gets to chime in...and the arm gets VERY weak while the disk is impinging on the nerves for that arm. I've found that amitriptyline USUALLY works for the nerve pain...but it takes anywhere from a few days to several weeks to work.

Best of luck. What you're dealing with can be fucking miserable.

 

[highland145]

Brother did and he needs another one. 40 years of plumbing has wrecked his body. Mom did and had instant relief but someone effed up her esophagus so she aspirates her food a lot. She's now 100lbs on a good day.

I'm a pussy and would get it done if that's the only option. Pain meds don't seem to kill the pain.

 

[kranky]

I've had a couple, last one was 10-12 years ago. . C4-C5 (fused with synthetic bone) and C5-C6 (fused with cadaver bone), 4 years apart. No idea what caused the problem (no car accidents, falls, no years of hard physical labor to blame, reallyl nothing to point to). Might have had one of the great neurosurgeons because it's been 98% pain free and only a tiny bit of numbness in my hand. For me it was a case of "fortune favors the stupid" - I was too stupid to consider other options once physical therapy didn't work. I just let my regular doc refer me to a neurosurgeon and let him cut, and I never gave it a second thought. The neuro was an ass with attitude but he knew how to do the job.

Lucky for sure with my results.

 

[TeeJay1952]

Cadaver bone, 20 years, All is well. Rinse and Repeat.

 

[Pulsar]

Cadaver bone, 20 years, All is well. Rinse and Repeat.

Thanks guys. This gives me hope that I might get back to normal use again. Or scares me thinking about being in pain all the time for the rest of my life.

 

[shortylickens]

No, but I heard it sucks ass.

 

[Skunk-Works]

Is a disk replacement not an option? I've read about fusions and I guess you don't want that.

 

[WilliamM2]

Ended up in the ER last week because of horrible pain, and it turned out to be a bulging disk and a vertebrae that has grown back incorrect over the last 20 years after being broken. The 'new' bone is impinging on the nerve that handles my right back and right arm. The pain meds are keeping me semi-upright, but if I go off them I'm nearly in tears with it.

I've never had to deal with prolonged pain like this - for the last two weeks it's been like someone is jamming a hot poker in my neck and right elbow.

Anyone ever deal with something like this? Disk is between A4 and A5, and it looks like A5 is the vertebrae that broke in the past, probably during a bad car accident I was in.

Had a cervical fusion of C5,C6,and C7 in 2010. They used a piece of bone from my hip. The pain before surgery was the worst I have ever experienced, and I was losing the use/strength of my right arm due to nerve damage. I would have been paralyzed without surgery. They think mine was also caused by a car accident 20 years earlier, and slowly degenerated.

When I woke from surgery almost all the pain was gone. and all movement of my right arm returned immediately, didn't even need PT after. 5 weeks later I was back to work. Follow all instructions, especially the neck brace after, and plan on sleeping in a recliner for a week or so, and you should be fine. It does take a year to fully heal/fuse, and I still have some pain occasionally.

In comparison, recovery from the rotator cuff surgery I had a year ago was 10 times worse. 6 weeks in a brace with no use of the arm at all, 12 weeks before I could lift more than 10 pounds, etc. 10 months before all restrictions were lifted. But that has turned out great too in the end.

Those who are telling you not to do it, have never had that kind of pain. You can't just "live with it".

 

[bfun_x1]

Thanks guys. This gives me hope that I might get back to normal use again. Or scares me thinking about being in pain all the time for the rest of my life.

I hurt my neck a couple weeks ago too and it's really freaking aggravating. The pain was mostly in my back for a few days and then it moved to my arm. It randomly goes from my armpit to my wrist to my forearm and I've lost strength. I went to a physical therapist and it's helping. She actually showed me how she could move the pain from my wrist to my elbow by putting pressure on different disk in my neck. We've been trying some trigger point dry needling . It's a rather painful experience but if it helps in the long run it will be worth it. Today is the first day I've been able to sit in my office chair so I guess it's getting a little better.

https://www.activespineandsport.com/trigger-point-dry-needling-tdn/

 

[todpod]

Had surgery about 20 years ago, while not perfect much better then before. I can aggravate it at times. Would do it again in a heartbeat. Pain meds weren't the answer.

 

[Rifter]

Good friend of mine did it, was a tow truck driver(heavies, class 1). The surgery ended his career, he couldn't drive heavy after, to much bouncing for him to handle as surgery was not 100% successful and now hes been told more surgery is not an option. And hes in more pain now that pre-surgery if he drives heavy. He has less pain however when not driving heavy trucks.

He told me his biggest regret in life was having the surgery, as he was handling it ok with pain meds pre-surgery, and towing was this guys life. By far the best operator i worked with in my 5 years of dispatching tow trucks. Having to get out of the towing industry has been rough on him hes now suffering from depression because he cant do the only thing he wants to do in life.

I go see him at least once a week because im concerned for him, hes in a dark place in life at the moment. Im trying to convince him to teach heavy recovery, because i think he'd be great at it.

 

[RadiclDreamer]

My dad had it done and he said it worked fantastically. His surgeon went through the front of his neck and left no scarring and he lost no real range of motion.

 

[Darwin333]

My lower back's fucked. I assume one or more blown discs. It pretty much always hurts, but when it really goes I can barely move. Never been to a doctor, cause all they can offer is drugs and surgery. I've always been skeptical of legal drugs, and surgery's an expensive crap shoot. That's last on my list of things to try.

If it were me, and I wanted surgery, I'd look into having the problematic bone shaved down. Otherwise...

Well you could go to the doctor, get the drugs, and send them to your really good buddy Darwin333. He'd even pay your copays I'm sure!

 

[Pulsar]

Well, don't mean to be an attention whore but I'm gonna be an attention whore and post again.

Did an MRI a day ago, and it shows 2 disks that are herniated into my spine. That plus the spin bone closing off the hole the nerves come out evidently means they want to do surgery immediately. The surgeon explained that they have to in through the front of my neck to get access to everything, so they will put an incision on the front of my throat, move my esophagus and everything else out of the way and get to work. 6 out of 7 outcomes are 'positive' according to them. Sooner is better though because the pain meds (I refused narcotics) just aren't cutting it.

The word "scared" doesn't even come into this. Doc says they could mess up my throat so I have to have a feeding bag installed, and they may damage my vocal cords in the process. They said that sort of damage may, or may not, heal. I might end up all raspy sounding for life.

Cripes. This seems so small compared to the people posting here about cancer. I can't imagine how they get through it.

Edit: Bright side is that I will now be a Zombie (cadaver bone will be used to fuse my spine). My kids think that's awesome. I will also be Ironman's cousin, because they'll be bolting it all in place.

 

[Skunk-Works]

I don't want to minimize the whole ordeal. But I have a lot of respect for surgeons and I can only imagine you'll do just fine. Those are just precautions.

I might need a disk replacement and when I read about it it sounds like they go through the front as well. Which means they could fuck my balls up or some shit and they recommend freezing your kids. I've never had surgery before.

 

[Pulsar]

I don't want to minimize the whole ordeal. But I have a lot of respect for surgeons and I can only imagine you'll do just fine. Those are just precautions.

I might need a disk replacement and when I read about it it sounds like they go through the front as well. Which means they could fuck my balls up or some shit and they recommend freezing your kids. I've never had surgery before.

I have 3 kids. They can clip my balls in the process. It'd save me money on condoms

 

[Skunk-Works]

LMAO!

 

[Grooveriding]

On a personal level I would approach it from the manageability of the pain, which from your description is at a level that is not reasonable to endure. Between a chronic narcotic regimen and fusion, I would elect for the fusion every time.

 

[BoomerD]

Always remember what my orthopedic surgeon told me. (after my knee surgery)

"There's nothing that a good surgery can't make worse."

I'm not suggesting that you shouldn't have the surgery...it really does sound like it's your only/best option, just beware...shit happens sometimes.

 

[WilliamM2]

The word "scared" doesn't even come into this. Doc says they could mess up my throat so I have to have a feeding bag installed, and they may damage my vocal cords in the process. They said that sort of damage may, or may not, heal. I might end up all raspy sounding for life.

Cripes. This seems so small compared to the people posting here about cancer. I can't imagine how they get through it.

Edit: Bright side is that I will now be a Zombie (cadaver bone will be used to fuse my spine). My kids think that's awesome. I will also be Ironman's cousin, because they'll be bolting it all in place.

That sounds like all the standard warnings I received, and the exact same procedure.

Something else to consider, everything I read says they have better results using your own bone, rather than a cadaver. Also, neurosurgeons tend to have a higher success rate than orthopedic surgeons. Certainly better than 6 out of 7.

 

[AdamK47]

I would like to report that I suffer no physical pain.

Physical.