Hi friends.
I herniated C5-C6 in November while sleeping. Terrible pain on my left side followed by eventual numbness in my left forefinger and thumb. Did 3 months of PT with good results outside of some occasional numbness that goes away quickly with activity modification.
Then I was stretching, just an overhead stretch, in February when I herniated C6-C7. Even worse pain than the first time, this time on the right, with weakness in my right arm that has improved some but not fully.
Sitting upright was hell. It’s better now, but I absolutely have to be supported by pillows or I’m standing or laying down.
Continued PT until a week and a half ago. Finally got an MRI in early April (4/2), and saw an ortho spine surgeon the next day (referred by GP). He was lovely and wanted to do an ESI followed by an ADR if no improvement.
I had been taking 100mg of gabapentin 3x daily and my prescription was bumped up to 300mg 3x daily. I picked that up 4/4.
The MRI, being in the machine with no neck support, flared my neck up so badly that I would wake up crying (in addition to generally waking up at night from pain prior). And I don’t know if it was because of that or the gabapentin increase, but since the MRI, I have experienced myoclonus throughout my entire body when I am at rest and reclined or lying down. I haven’t noticed it while standing or moving around.
Then my neurologist reviewed my MRI results and referred me (either urgently or they work very quickly) to a neurosurgeon. I saw her on Wednesday and saw the neurosurgeon on Monday. He said, more or less, that this (the fusion) is my best option; that he doesn’t think this will heal by itself. He explained that ADR wouldn’t be great for me because he suspects my vertebrae would auto-fuse over the hardware.
Anyway, I have been totally down for this until the last couple of days. My pain is much better, but I also don’t do anything anymore. No bending over, dishwasher, vacuuming, driving, all out of caution and because tilting forward makes my right hand tingle up the arm, as well as the back of my neck. And because I’m scared shitless of spontaneously hurting myself again. My right forefinger and middle finger tips have gone numb, though not as badly as on the left side when those fingers were numb.
I could use some words of encouragement or advice. I am literally, not figuratively, about to puke out of worry. I’m so scared of what my future will look like if I do this and if I don’t. Thank you all.
I’m 31F. My half-sister (61) had a cervical fusion last year and our dad (old mofo) had one when he was 40. There seems to be a genetic component. I have insanely flexible feet/ankles (I can achieve 180° from shin to toes with no problem at all) and was unusually flexible growing up, so I suspect there’s something collagen related there.
MRI results below and pics attached.
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EXAM:
MR Cervical Spine without IV contrast.
CLINICAL HISTORY:
Neck pain. M54.12 Radiculopathy, cervical region; Radiculopathy, cervical region
Radiculopathy, cervical region ; Radiculopathy, cervical region ;
TECHNIQUE:
Magnetic resonance images of the cervical spine without intravenous contrast in
multiple planes.
Series acquired:
103 - SAG T2_DNE SHD - TR: 4266.0 - TE: 119.5 - ET: 24.0 - Thk: 3.0
104 - SAG T1_DNE SHD - TR: 683.0 - TE: 8.7 - ET: 4.0 - Thk: 3.0
105 - SAG STIR_DNE SHD - TR: 5150.0 - TE: 36.4 - ET: 12.0 - Thk: 3.0
106 - AX T2_DNE SHD - TR: 4837.0 - TE: 99.7 - ET: 24.0 - Thk: 4.0
COMPARISON:
None provided.
FINDINGS:
VERTEBRAE:
No compressions are seen.
No masses are seen. There is no infiltrative bone marrow disease.
ALIGNMENT:
Bony alignment is anatomic.
SPINAL CORD/BRAIN:
No abnormality is seen in the cord.
No abnormality is seen in the visualized portions of the brain.
FINDINGS BY LEVEL:
C2-C3:
No significant posterior bulge or protrusion. No posterior facet arthrosis. No
central canal stenosis. No neural foraminal stenosis.
C3-C4:
Mild disc desiccation and right-greater-than-left facet arthropathy with
uncinate hypertrophy mild-to-moderate right foraminal stenosis. The central
canal and left foramen are patent.
C4-C5:
Mild-to-moderate disc desiccation with right-greater-than-left uncinate
hypertrophy and posterior disc osteophyte complex. The central canal is patent.
Mild left and moderate to severe right foraminal stenosis.
C5-C6:
Moderate disc desiccation with left-greater-than-right uncinate hypertrophy.
Posterior disc osteophyte complex. Minimal central canal stenosis. Severe left
and moderate right foraminal stenosis.
C6-C7:
Moderate disc desiccation with broad-based right parasagittal moderate size disc
protrusion. Complete effacement of CSF with moderate central canal stenosis and
moderate right foraminal stenosis. Moderate to severe left foraminal stenosis.
C7-T1:
Mild disc desiccation and facet arthropathy. No stenosis.
PARASPINAL SOFT TISSUES:
No soft tissue abnormality is noted.
IMPRESSION:
- Chronic multilevel degenerative changes without acute abnormality,
malalignment or cord signal abnormality. - Multilevel stenosis as enumerated cervical level in the body of the report,
greatest at C6-7.