Severe pain in the neck

[blaizemum]

So in Oct last year I was told that the discs in my neck are pressing on my spinal cord which is causing me to loose sensation in my hands and I'm in constant severe pain , I was told I needed surgery as soon as it was possible but I'm still waiting, everytime I phone my surgeon's secretary I'm told I'm still on the list,this pain is really getting me down, I'm allergic to most painkillers the strongest think I can use is paracetamol, I'm at the end of my tether and don't know which way to turn

[cyberbarn]

I am sorry to hear that you aren't getting more support for your pain. I know what it is like to only be able to take paracetamol.

Have you had a look at the Pain Toolkit website? They have a lot of non-pharmalogical ideas to deal with pain. For me I get relief when I am watching comedy with my lovely son and laughing. But laughing gently!

paintoolkit.org

[strongmouse]

Hi, I have cervical osteophytes which can press on my spine but I don't need an operation. I get numbness rather than pain in my hands and arms. I do find that I have to take care as to how I hold and move my neck. For instance I don't turn my neck, I turn the top part of my body, i.e. my shoulders. It might be worth asking your GP if you can try a neck brace while you are waiting for an operation? I find heat can help and when lying down in bed or sitting in a chair, having good neck support.

I did take a Pain Management Course and found it helpful as it helped me to understand how we perceive pain and what happens when we have ongoing pain. There are techniques which can help to manage it a little better everyday. It is tough for you not being able to take other pain medication. Perhaps you can speak to your GP and ask if there is anything else you can try. I take a low dose of nortyptaline and it does help with nerve pain (which I get down my leg).

All the best. Hope you hear from them soon.

[Hidden]

I had a severe pain in the neck so I divorced her!

[blaizemum in reply to Hidden]

Ha ha really funny

[DevineOne]

Sorry to hear that. My wife uses a TENS machine. It really does help her with her pain. It is quite inexpensive on amazon as well. Also, a hot water bottle behind the neck can help. The cold weather doesn't help and my wife is in more pain in the cold seasons.

[Blackknight1989]

Sorry to hear of your neck pain. I too have that issue. C1-C6 have become fragments and I too was pressed by the system and an orthopedist to have surgery. I choose not too. In addition to my neck I have osteoarthritis in nearly every joint in my body. Before I turned 48 I had 22 orthopedic surgeries concluding with 2 X knee replacements, 2 X hip replacements, and 2 X ankle arthrodesis (fusion). I need, both shoulders replaced, lumbar reconstruction in L1-L5 and S1, the cervical spine reconstruction C1-C6, ankle replacements bilateral and more. Well I’m done with surgeries and will only have another if the issue is life threatening and I’m not over 65. I’m now 55 and have no expectation of living more than another 10 years max. This, I’d rather manage the pain than spend every year in recovery, potentially MORE pain post-op, and for a relatively low level of success especially the back/neck and ankle surgeries.

My dad had the cervical surgery, I’ve had three friends have the surgery and my experience with those folks is about a 65% chance of being “fixed,” a 25% chance of a worsening of symptoms, and an efficacy of about 2 years then they are worse off than prior to the surgery. There are too many bad outcomes to hope for the small chance of success for me.

For me my neck pain keeps me from keeping my head up longer than about 1/2 minutes or about 15/20 minutes every hour. Also, my range of motion is gone, I can turn my neck left and right only about 10%. I am sitting in a chair currently and just from the time “writing” this post the pain is almost unbearable and I just finished a treatment prior to beginning to type. Finally, the left 2/3rds of my head go completely numb to the touch but with the pins and needles plus the shooting sharp pain throughout after about 30 minutes of not laying supine. My neurologist says it is the worst cervical spine he has ever encountered on any patient of any age and he is in his 38th year of practice!

So what do I do. Number one ice and heat, don’t knock them they work. I prefer ice for the numbing effect as my neck is probably the most painful of all my issues. I use the heat on my lower back. Several places sell the shiatsu massagers. I purchased mine from Amazon, my wife bought hers at Target it made by Wahl a quality company. I use other things but those are almost what you might think you see in a torture chamber or at least a haunted house. So I’ll hold onto those until you decide you need them…lol!

My point, I believe any spinal surgery is a crap shoot at best. I encourage you not to listen and follow your doctors surgery recommendation blindly. I did from ‘98-‘14 and I ended up with 22 surgeries and all the joints in my lower body replaced or fused. Were some of those unnecessary or at least 5/10 years too early, probably. Thus, if I live long enough I will face a choice of either replace the replaced joints or lose the function of the joint. They don’t last forever, my first knee replacement will be 20 years old next year. That’s the expected life of that joint.

I do not wish any of those bad outcomes on anyone so do your homework on the cervical surgery and look for alternatives to the surgery. Further, I know it’s hard in the “Old Country” but get another opinion or another course of treatment from another physician. I would for sure.

As always I am not a doctor nor medical professional. All the above post is only my observations or opinions and should NOT be misconstrued or used as medical advice. DO NOT use any of the information in this post to help formulate a care plan, decide on the desired method of care for you individually, or use it to supplement any part of your health care or disease management. Instead, see a TRUSTED MD of your choosing to get customized medical advice provided by a credentialed and trained medical professional. Finally, I wish you my very best in your journey with the cervical disk disintegration and neck pain. I pray on fair weather and following seas in your upcoming surgery or decision to have surgery and that it works out just as it’s supposed to for your best outcome.