HI to all...need advice for my awesome neck

[benlgrobinson]

Hi im a 34yr old Australian male, very fit healthy etc

11 weeks ago is when my pain started. I have had 2 cortisone injectins, loads of acupuncture, physio, chiro, TENS machine etc to alleviate my symptoms.but nothing has seemed to help.

Currently i have deep ache/pain in my bicep, pins and needles down my arm and into my hand and thumb/index finger plus numbness.

Pretty much from the MRI report (attached) it says i have at the C5/C6 level stenosis, with spondylosis and a bulging disc, which is all creating this.

I had a herniated disc at L4/L5 11yrs ago with sciatica, muscle wasting, drop foot etc, and i opted againest surgery and overcame it through physio, diligence with my posture and movement and probably luck!

I would like to do the same with this disc, my neurosurgeon says in his report (attached) that it can be managed through physio etc but "unfortunately this problem is likely to reoccur and surgical options may be necessary down the track".

He mentioned disc replacement when i saw him... so id like to know is if anyone out there has a similar report with similar symptoms and if so id like to hear their story.

If i have to have a ADR from my research the M6 would suit my lifestyle im a surfer from birth and live in Indonesia working on surf charter boats and am currently in the process of buying my own boat but this has just stopped my life in its tracks.. so if is any other surfers out there id like to hear form u also.

Thanks

Ben

[jss]

Ben,

Good luck in your quest to manage this with therapy. A lot of people seem to be able to do that for a long time; sometimes years.

There are MANY of us that have had a similar condition as yours; and the great majority of us did very well with it after a fusion and/or ADR. I've had two cervical fusions and two cervical ADRs. Since the last surgery in 2009 I've managed four full marathons, a full IronMan, and am trying to decide what to do next.

In the surgical outcome forum the poster that goes by the handle, tayoub, has just posted some pictures of himself windsurfing. He doesn't post here very often, but might respond if you PM him.

Good luck, Jeff

[benlgrobinson]

Hi Jss

Thanks for the reply mate much appreciated.

Im curious with a similar diagnosis and symptoms to mine was any other procedure an option such as removal of bone spurs. laminectomy etc?

I know the herniated disc in my back recovered extremely well with conservative treatment it took 9 months of diligence i did not work and dedicated every waking hour to my recovery...and at the time i had drop foot so bad if the ground i walked on wasn't flat and perfect id trip over anything..11yrs later and im going strong last "tweak" in my back was 4 yrs ago and over night went away.

So im curious why you chose to operate..as in what led u to think it was the last resort?

These M6 sound unreal but i mean its a total last resort right?? ive been in touch with a guy who has 8!! he has 8 M6 throughout his spine, neck and back hes 52 and surfs all over the world...amazing!!!

Thanks mate is great to hear your living your life not just a pain free life which as i was told yrs ago when i chose not to operate on my back was the best possible outcome!!

[jss]

Ben,

I absolutely agree; the best course of action is to avoid surgery until it is no longer possible to continue to avoid it. On your contact with eight ADRs... Be aware that the success of an ADR surgery seems to be inversely proportional to number implanted. Someone that can surf after eight ADRs ... bless that gentleman; he's probably in a class of one.

The three times I went with surgery was because I was developing myelopathy of some sort. The first time, when looking at my images, the surgeon's eyes were as big as golf balls, telling me that my spinal cord was compressed to less than half its normal size and that I could be paralyzed if I didn't have surgery soon. He told me the same thing two years later. The last time I was told, by two different doctors, that I was developing myelomalacia from the trauma to the spinal cord and that it 'might' not develop fully if I had a decompression surgery ASAP; and that if the condition did develop that I probably wouldn't survive. In retrospect, I believe much of that was probably overstated.

Bone spurs that are on the posterior vertebral body are accessed by removing the intervertebral disc; which commits you to fusion or ADR. In each of my cases, the neural foramen were also impinged; not just the spinal cord; so a laminectomy wouldn't have addressed all of the symptoms.

If I had it to do over again, I'd probably do the first two surgeries differently. I'm not certain that they were needed as quickly as they were sold to me.

Good luck, Jeff

[Jerry5]

This can be a personal decision, then it might not be...,

If you are experiencing deficit from nerve impingement, sensory loss and a lot of pain, it might be best to have an ADR.

Have you ever had any type of implant, like a dental or knee..., the body has to be able to take it.

Just my two cents.

[benlgrobinson]

Hey Jss..

Yea this guy ive been speaking to has had 5 lumbar and 3 cervical implants (M6) over 2 procedures he told me in Germany by Dr Ritter-Lang who from what ive researched seems to be a world leader in ADR.

Hes really happy with it and says he wish he'd done it 10yrs before instead of living in pain.

I can definitely see why u chose surgery!! sounds like it wasn't a choice but a necessity!!

From my report i have at C4/C5 - Unco vertebral spuring

C5/C6 - disco vertebral spurring +disc bulge +moderate spondylosis +right forman moderate stenosis


C6/C7 - unco vertebaral spurring + borderline narrowing at right nerve outlet

My prob seems is combo at C5/C6 of all those things..which hopefully over time can fix it self..as in the disc bulge i mean.

Ive bee researching foraminotomy which sounds minimally invasive and promising also...

Jerry5 ive never had any sort of implant, my symptoms are weird changing constantly i guess the bulge moves...how did all your procedures go?

Thanks for the reply's guys