why do I have so much pain 4 months post-op ACDF ?

[KathyWalsh]

I had my neck surgery on three vertabrae in mid-March 2011 and I seemed to be doing okay, but gradually the pain increased until it reached the absolutely unbearable level about a month ago. The surgeon sent me to physical therapy, which seemed to do nothing to help (I apparently have really bad posture - no kidding, and I have been forbidden to read or use a laptop) and so I want to go back to the surgeon again, but I can't get an MRI because I just had gall bladder surgery. So I am in limbo - what IS this pain about? Does it mean that the fusion didn't heal right? I refuse to believe it is just bad posture. It is getting to the point that I can't work anymore - I just sit at a computer all day, but that's probably part of the problem.

[Jrsygrl109]

Hi Kathy - sorry to hear about your pain - I went through the same thing - I had c4,5,6 fused and felt better after the surgery but then the pain started to creep back in.  The numbness and weakness never went away. I was put on cymbalta for depression (side effect is that it is good for nerve pain) shortly after the surgery snd that helped until about month 5 or 6 post op then I was having breakthrough pain so I stopped thed cymbalta (horrible, horrible experience getting off cymbalta - i used the tapering method and was sick for 5 weeks). My posture is horrible too and I do know that sitting in front of a computer is my worst enemy - as you can tell my by typos - lol. But our posture is affected by many other things - I have straigtening of the cervial spine (lordosis) (I'm sure you do now too due to the fusion) and straighting of the lumbar spine (l1/2 laminectomy; l3/4 microdiscectomy; l4/5 fusion) and have now developed scoliosis in the l-spine. I hope they get to the bottom of your pain and you get relief. But please remember - do not do anything you are not comfortable with asnd if you don't understand ask the doctor to explain it to you again.  I had a recent expience with my PM doc where he was insisting that I needed a shot in the hip joint and every appointment I kept asking him to please explain it again that how will this injection help a tendon tear on the hip bone - finally I got a referral to a specialist who deals in tears such as this (medius gluteius tear of the greater trochanter).  Best of luck

[KathyWalsh]

Thanks for your kind thoughts. I got the MRI finally on Monday and went to the doctor with it and he sees ... nothing. A few minutes ago I got a CT scan and I will be getting an EMG next week. I know the doctor is taking this seriously, but this is getting to be impossible to deal with - I can barley walk to my car after work and I am not sure how I am coming to work every day. They are suggesting injections and more physical therapy... Oh. I am 59. Never sick a day in my life - and now this.

[namnam46]

Hi Kathy,

First, I want to welcome you to the PM (Pain Management) Forum and let you know that we are glad you found this Forum. We are all CP (Chronic Pain) Patients that help each other with our own expertise and experiences that we have developed through our own CP Issues.

I'm so sorry that you are having this pain increase so much after your surgery!!  You definitely need to go back and get your MRI ASAP.  How long do you have to wait between your Gallbladder Surgery and the MRI?  The minute that you can have it, you need to do it.  

The most important thing that you must do, is to follow your doctor's orders!!  If your Doctor told you NO reading and NO laptop then you must follow those instructions.  Did he forbid you to use any computer or just a laptop?  If it's any computer, then you need to be sure that you refrain from that also.  

May I ask how old you are, Kathy?  I have severe back issues also, and I know how terribly painful and difficult it is to handle these pains day-to-day.  

Unfortunately, there's always the possibility that something didn't heal correctly after a surgery, but the only way that you will no that is to have the MRI's.  

I'm very concerned about you and I hope that you will keep us updated.........Sherry  :)

[Dee1956]

Hi, I am so sorry to hear of your problem.  It takes a while to heal from surgery.  When I had back surgery I was told it would take about 6 months and it slowly got better however if you feel it is getting worse that could be a problem.  When I work on a computer I have to really concentrate on sitting up straight or my neck and shoulders really hurt.  Can you take breaks during the day?  I also had physical therapy and it helped quite a bit though I had to do exercises at home.  Did they give you a sheet of "at home" exercises to do?  Good luck, I hope you feel better soon
D