Cervical fusion, then MORE pain?

The only other thing that I have not recommended to you, that I use, is an inversion machine.

Might help!

Prayers for ya Faint, as I well understand and have the same situation.

Last Edited by Bodiless on 01/26/2016 10:39 AM

yeah johns hopkins just blew me iff they fused/pinned/rodd the L/3/4/5 then due to 2 serious falls the cage moved - serious pinch, hostile numbess from hip down - dr ignores ct scan n the report. 'see ya in 6 mos'

Try inversion table.

Back problems are absolutely horrid. The medical community isn't advanced enough to be able to properly fix any of it......and sometimes they even make a problem worse.

The only thing they can really do for you is give you pain pills........till the government cracks down on them......then they cut you off.

Great system!

Go find another doctor. You need another fusion of the one that is herniated. YES, it will cause a cascade effect. What would you rather have - your neck fused up with limited range or severe pain from now on? Since Fusion is the best choice available, it is what it is. Remember, most of the range of motion in your neck is from C1. Even if you fused your entire neck you'd still be able to swivel your head. You would have a hard time looking down without bending and driving would be a little more difficult, but you wouldn't be in sever pain.

If you can live with the pain, it will get better after a while (maybe 6 months) when the pulp sack dries up, but you are left with a bunch of nerve damage that will take months to heal and adjust to. If it's bad enough, I'd go with surgery. You'd be healed up in 3-6 weeks.

Try a Chiropractor for the pain relief. My neck was fractured at C6 many years ago, and I have really bad arthritis at that spot. I have found that Chiropractic care really helps relieve the pain, and gives me more freedom of movement.

My husband had a disc replacement instead of fusion. Much easier process and better success.

You are confused because you didn't study the effects of fusing cervical joints.

You are now in pain because you chose to listen to those making money from your pain.

If all of you visited a chiropractor in the first instance you wouldn't be here now crying about it.

Broken neck and back, refused medical treatment. used chiropractor for nearly 10 years while my body healed itself. Learnt how to release my own joints. 15 years later full range of motion, no pain.

Try acupuncture.....then alternate hot and cold packs on your neck and take ibuprofen for pain. In 6 weeks your body will heal the herniation by itself. Just endure until then....unless you want another serger you with questionable results.

That's SURGERY with questionable results

^^^agree 100%

I was an xray tech for a few years. ANY spinal fusion made me cringe. I have never seen a person be bettered by that procedure.

Cervical fusion is much safer than lumbar. I would never fuse a lumbar. Depending on how young you are, cervical fusion can make sense. If you are in your 40's, go ahead and start the cervical fusion path. You might not end up with a totally fused neck, but if you're younger, you probably will end up with multiple fusions by old age. They are still quite a few years away from a valid disc replacement that will last and is safe.

Hubby had an artificial lumbar disc replacement done 6 plus years ago. He recovered quickly and regained his active lifestyle. He was late 30's when he had it done. It was a miracle for him.

I am a therapist and help where the other medical idiots that do not with all there allopathic mess-ups can do nothing let us start with recreating a cervical curve on your neck it is like these others do not see any structure put your finger tips to the back of your neck, both sides laying them only on the transverse processes that is the side neck bone sections pull fore ward from the starting at the base by your shoulders, both sides just barely any pressure make sure that both side are even not one of them fore ward ,if it is only use the pressure on the one back side, that is too far back try and see if it will go come fore ward , one section of cervical at a time, all the way to the head very gentle, then from the base of the neck by the shoulder on the front gentle push, both sides together at the same time ,back just a tid bit tiny pressure , when u find the side to much fore ward, it is the side needs to go back a tiny bit only the side in pain when u touch it is the side foreward ok like a gentle exercise for your neck I work mine every day every night my head goes on a pillow and my neck is screwed up rest of the day as I reposition it, I fix my head also check your ears , is one side higher than the other, across your head check at the bottom lobe where it meets your head, are they even there are 2 planes of movement one side up the other down, and one fore ward the other back get it, pull the side high down, the side low push up yes it does move like that, and if one fore ward push it back, pull the one back pull fore ward the one fore ward back make it even we mold ourselves remold yourself Anita

I have needed sisc replacement for 10 years..

"neck-pro".. it is a cervical traction device, buy on amazon, use it.

From what I understand, OP, you might want to check in with a trustworthy doctor. Good luck finding one these days. Said trustworthy doctor should be able to help you out the most without drugging you up at all.

Cocain will help tremendously

Why do yo say never the lumbar ? I have herniated L4/5 and 5/6 S1 that causes significantly bad problems and considering surgery

I have grade 2 spondylolisthesis at l5/s1 and some other problems throughout my spine. I can't stand longer than 15 minutes until I start getting terrible pain in legs and back. If I force myself to continue walking or standing, I will start getting motor problems.

There is no way in hell I will let a neuro surgeon put rods and screws in my spine. On top of that, they need to put in artifical disk above the fusion so that it will handle the additional stress.

I pop hydrocodone tablets all day and still have pain. I refuse to take stronger drugs because I can't stand the side effects. I talked with many people who had spinal fusion and they all tell me to wait as long as possible until considering surgery. Just the thought of it makes me cringe.

Lumbar surgery is always 50/50. You have to take the risks I suppose, but just know that if you fuse the lumbar, it might not even alleviate the pain afterwards. It's just the nature of the beast. I would have to be incapacitated to have lumbar surgery.

I would have cervical fusion, as you will be practically pain free in 3 months and the only downside is the potential for the disks to blow above and below the fusion.

have worked on over 10000 different people and put them back together, pay attention to my restructuring help, the others, only listened and had done what, surgery does not help, and or their drugs, I do structure re-correct the body do balancing, acupuncture puts a needle into a nerve, the nerve has a body, the dendrites, like feelers and a head, the dendrites feelers touch the head of the next nerve ,,,, if u put a needle into the body of or the dendrites you numb the nerve, it will grow back months later, if u put a NEEDLE IN THE HEAD U WILL KILL IT , THE WHOLE INDUCTION SYSTEM, every body is different and to put a needle in where u cannot see, blatantly ignorant, I work with and for a D.C. have had patients,had cervical fusion problem still there, or now the fusion has rotated, they are in extreme pain, go to the HOSPITAL AND THEY SEND THEM TO THE PSYCH WARD ITS ALL IN THERE HEAD BULL, THE FRIGGIN CERVICAL FUSION ROTATED AND THE IGNORANT MEDICAL SOCIETY WONT AGNOWLEGE THEIR SCREW UPS

[link to www.cedars-sinai.edu (secure)]

Ha! That's what my husband said last night! Great minds ;-)

Thanks Bodiless, always great advice from you. Sorry I abandoned the thread, the house called yesterday.

This is what I wanted, but it was not offered. The best I could do was enter a clinical trial and hope I got the replacement. Guess who became part of the control group? :-(



Yeah, see above. I did read, but took my chances and prayed for the best.

That SUCKS Phenom, so sorry for your pain :-(

Yep, they had me on "pain relief" aka narcotics until the surgery and I got hooked and sick. I won't take anything with Norco or the like now. Even after my last C-section.

That is interesting! One of my ears is higher than the other. I will try what you said.