Had C5/C6 replaced and still have nerve pain in arm/elbow!

[AshleyRenee1986]

Hello Everyone! I had my C5/C6 replaced on December 6th, 2018. My intitial symptom was shoulder pain. When I awoke from my surgery, I was in EXCRUCIATING pain in my shoulder!! I ended up spending 10 days in the hospital for pain management. I have since then been on MSContin and Percocet. I still have severe pain in my shoulder, bad bad headaches, pain when moving my neck from side to side (ear to shoulder), nerve pain running down the back of my arm into my elbow, top of my forearm and into my pinky and ring finger. I still have burning pain between my shoulder blades and am constantly tense at the base of my neck and into my shoulders. More recently when I lay down with my head propped up, I have shooting nerve pain going down the right side of my shoulder/arm. I’ve told my neuro surgeon. I have seen an ortho surgeon who wants to operate on me. I have a bad rotator cuff and degeneration in my AC joint but I’m not sure that is what’s causing all of the nerve pain in my arms and the shoulder blade pain that is killing me along with the migraines. I had another EMG done which came back negative. I don’t know why they feel the need to keep repeating the test. My nerves are alive, but there is something being pinched or compressed somewhere!! I feel as if they don’t believe me! I’m afraid to ask my pain management doctor for stronger meds because too many people abuse and ruin it for the rest of us. My body has gotten too used to the same stuff for the past 4 months. It no longer is working anymore! I NEED HELP!!!!

[Kalvin]

Sorry to hear about the hell you've been going through. I can relate, I was worse after I had my C6/7 done. It was pretty bad an I know exactly what you mean about the headaches, they were awful.

Like I said I was in pretty bad shape after surgery too, but you sound worse. What has your Surgeon told you about why your recovery been so rough?

Surgeons tend to think that they can look at a problem on a MRI, do the surgery, and everything turns out wonderful, unfortunately it doesn't always work out that way.

Many of them don't understand when we complain about pain, they think everything should be fine. I've had a few surgeries and have had a bit of experience with this, and I know it's upsetting, but don't feel alone, many of us go through it.

You have so many different symptoms, have you had an post-op MRI? What type of procedure did you have exactly, a fusion, artifical disc replacement or something else?

What type of procedure does the Ortho want to do? I'm no doctor, but I can tell you that it's extremely unlikely that all that nerve pain you're having is coming from your shoulder.

[AshleyRenee1986]

I had the mobi C put into my neck. I had a post MRI and my neuro surgeon says the stenosis appears to be no longer present and can’t understand why I’m still having all of this nerve pain. I too have no idea why, but I know that it’s happening! My neck is constantly tight and the headaches are an EVERYDAY thing for me now. My surgery for my shoulder is set for next Friday they are doing an arthroscopy to clean out the rotator cuff and AC joint and also cutting the bicep tendon and reattaching it. I’m just praying that this atleast brings some relief as far as the shoulder pain. I know that the nerve pain and neck stuff will not be healed.