What were your initial symptoms for m... - Cervical Myelopathy
What were your initial symptoms for myelopathy?
Please select one:
I had left arm pain with tingling and numbness as well as left leg weakness which made me prone to falls as I am already mobile with crutches.
This was me - on MRI scan I had a large prolapsed intervertebral disc that was compressing my spinal cord so badly I had no cord visible. I ended up needing a C6/C7 anterior cervical discectomy with fusion/fixation (ACDF)
None of the above. A neuro dr did an evaluation and found I had, in his words "brisk reflexes". this was in 2003. I had already had two lumbar surgeries. But when it happened in my neck, the fun, lol, really started after my MRI.
Hi Michael
That would be hyperreflexia that you are referring to - a classic sign & symptom of degenerative cervical myelopathy. My patellar reflexes are so brisk, I nearly kick the doctor each time they check them lol.
Kind regards
Shirley
That's weird, I have none of the above either (my chief problems are back pain and some difficulty walking, with muscle pain) and I was just referred for a cervical MRI because I had hyperreflexia.
Chancery, My gait and hyperflexia were my first area of notice. My spinal cord was barely noticeable on my MRI C5/C6.
My initial symptom was a feeling like I had stuck my finger in an electrical outlet.
My first symptoms after my accident was putting plaster Paris on arm because they thought scaphoid bone was fractured which doesn't show up straight away and i got sharp pain in clavicle area matter of seconds she thought it was referred pain from scaphoid then it was little finger twitching and hand cold and white blotches on my arm up to elbow and pain on and of in neck and headaches
right leg spasms, tripping and falling, dropping everything, no fine motor skills in hands.
None of these. Perhaps you should include that as an option?
What were your signs? The condition sneaks up on you.
Hi there, I can only speak for myself after a accident I was misdiagnosed and then had to wait to long and it was to late even after operations . It can also effect bladder and bowels dysfunction and then you have to live with it so the sooner you get a diagnosis the better chance you can have.
Yeah, I'll be honest - that's my big worry. With Covid it's making getting appointments difficult, plus I feel doctors are all aching to get rid of you. I was really lucky I got a neurologist who spotted, and reported, my hyperreflexia to the very bad rheumatologist who had referred me for muscle testing (at my insistence, not his!). I hope I don't have it but I desperately need someone to tell me what's wrong with me before I stop functioning altogether. I live alone and don't know how I'll cope if i don't get help. I also don't know how to cope with this level of pain for the rest of my life.
I have terrible back pain, from my lower back to my upper, but the upper is worst. I also have pain in the tops of my arms, particularly badly on my right hand side, which has actually got a lot worse recently. I'm having real difficulty lifting my arm very high or putting it across my body and I can't sleep on that side any more so it's disturbing my sleep. I also have leaden legs and terrible fatigue. I also get weird electric shock pains that will go from arm to my toes or my arm to my gut, but I only get these very sporadically. They're not consistent. I've had the devil's own trouble trying to get ANYONE to take me seriously or help me. They see a woman in their 60s and assume I'm just getting old!
I fell apart at 59 and luckily diagnosed within nine months. Too late for surgery. Two pinches in my neck. I just hope I am "stabilized" I am only 61. The worst is the incontinence. I have always been a well kept women. This is the pits!
Hi there, if you have Cervical Myelopathy there is no cure but there is thing's that you can do to make thing's a little better . Operations which I have had two just try to stop further progression I have bladder and bowel issues and all the rest I was misdiagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome for 15 years and by time I was properly diagnosed it was to late . There's a lot of us on here who suffer because of it and we reach out to each other and help if we can .
Are you worried about becoming paralyzed? I am but no one can predict.
My legs are not good pain , tingling, stiff, but I can't change what could happen I was told of my surgeon it could happen . You just have to be positive and fight it as best you can. Clive.
I appreciate the optimism. I am just trying to protect myself from any trauma so I might stay stabilized as long as possible. It sounds like I am as bad off as those who have had surgery. Nerve damage does not repair itself is what I have read.
Hi my initial symptom was an electric shock down the whole of my spine thought I’d trapped a nerve but when I got up the next morning I was dragging my left leg and had pins and needles into my left arm and hand. After finally doing an mri 5 days into tests they found two discs and osteophytes which were strangling spinal cord causing ,,mylopathy . I had an emergency operation to prevent paralysis they removed discs and implanted artificial ones and I had cage fixation in cervical spine c4/5-c5/6. For 5 years I was pain free although have spastic gait.July 2015 I needed an anterior foraminotomy which caused nerve damage to right arm and hand/fingers which are numb. Servere pain in groin to lower back & legs. I have scar tissue on my cord now which causes signal changes and pain through out. I’m badly effected by the cold damp weather. Any help I can give I’m not an expert but it’s so great that I can connect with people in similar situations. Jane
Hi Jane , I can relate to your on going issues as I myself have cervical myelopathy and have had two operations the last one just over a year ago and I am having another scan on the 4 , March I myself have nerve damage and also it effects my bladder and bowels as I was misdiagnosed and for nearly twenty years it went undetected until it but my bladder and bowels and as you know it doesn't get better my fusion is c3c4c5 and it's going up which is not a good sign. If you would like to share anything your more than welcome. Clive x 🤗
Thank you Clive it’s very kind of you. I needed to find people with similar neurological problems as the isolation and feeling no one can understand is overwhelming at times. I have 2 boys still living at home 13 and 16 years old one has ADD and the other ADHD. So it’s difficult 😊
I really feel for you. I have slight urge incontinence but it's improved quite significantly recently after changing my diet - a lot. I have Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, which basically means I'm pretty allergic to a lot of things, so a lot of the junk I was eating was irritating my bladder. I had suspected Covid in February last year and with it came the most awful racking cough for 3 weeks or more. I actually had to buy pads because I literally became incontinent - it was awful. I was lucky mine's went away so I feel your pain. X
Have you had an MRI on your neck? That's the easiest way to tell if you have a pinched spinal cord.
Not yet, I've been referred for one, but that could be any time from now till this Christmas. It took 11 months to see the rheumatologist who referred me - and he was worse than useless! If it hadn't been for my insistence I'd have been packed off with a MCAS diagnosis and that would have been it.
Hi After my 2nd MRI scan it showed my condition had severely deteriorated over a 2yrs span. I had a consultation in March 2021 I was advised to have ACDF surgery which took place in August. After two weeks I still have numbness and tingling in my arms and hands and pain in my neck. Hopefully this will settle in time (HOPEFULLY)MRI Scan report
* Coded entry - Magnetic resonance imaging of cervical spine (X70pD); Result: MRI of the cervical spine.; There is loss of cervical lordosis with its mild reversal centred at; C4.; There are chronic spondylotic changes with disc degeneration, disc; bulge/osteophytes more marked at C3-C4, C4-C5, C5-C6. No fracture,; infection; or tumour.; Axial views showed:; At C4-C5 signs of a chronic severe spinal canal stenosis, AP dimension; estimated at 5 mm, CSF reserve is effaced and there is a small signal; change; in the left side of the cord in keeping with a chronic compression; myelopathy.; There are signs of severe bilateral exiting foramina stenosis,; affecting; bilaterally C5 exiting; MRI SPINE CERVICAL (04.03.2021) ...Continued; At C5-C6 the posterior disc bulge/osteophytes, narrowing the spinal; canal; indenting spinal cord. No compression myelopathy. There are signs of; mild; stenosis of both exiting foramina which may result in radicular; symptoms C6; exiting nerve roots.; The appearances of the exiting nerve roots at the remaining cervical; intervertebral levels look normal.
Did anyone suffer a drop in anxiety and depression while being diagnosed
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