Hi everyone,
how are you?

Last year I had neck laser surgery in Florida to decompress left C6, C7 nerves. The Deukspine surgery was a failure because my pain has increased a lot more since in August 2023. Dr Deuk promised me that I would be pain free but that was not the case.

It's been nearly 12 months and my neck has been gradually getting worse. I have extreme chronic pain between left C4-C5, C5-C6, C6-C7 and C7-T1.

I feel bad numbness in my neck, painful pins and needles, referred pain in shoulders, shoulder blades, arms, hand, fingers, back, groin, legs and feet.

Since 7 days ago, my neck tension, stiffness, pain, pins/needles, numness has increased dramatically, it is full on as if something is biting, catching inside. At the same time I feel numbness in my groin, legs, feet and toes. The left foot pain is very bad, it feels extremely tight, numb everywhere as well as the leg.

I am not able to relieve the neck pain, not even with strong opiods. I tried gentle stretches, traction, posture, heat, cold, massage, deep breathing but nothing works.

I am going nuts. The pain, the numbness is stressiong me out a lot. I noticed that the pain in the neck is proportional to the pain in the leg and foot. The more numbness in the neck, the more numbness in the foot and leg.

I just wanted to mention that my MRI shows the disc pressing close to the spinal cord. The doctors have excluded spinal stenosis but this area hurts a lot together with the C6, C7.

I have been to the GP here in Melbourne Australia but he has no clues apart from throwing more drugs at the problem.
The hospital has the same attitude.

I asked them to investigate or at least take a new scan of my neck area but they are not being very helpful because the do not deem my problem are as urgent as other emergencies.

I am left with the physiotherapist that has tried, but I still have severe pain, referred pain, tightness, spasms everywhere. in the neck and feet.

I haven't been able to sleep for 5 days and feel exhausted.

Now I have nausea, inability to focus.

Could something be pressing on my cervical spinal cord?
Does anyone have any ideas?

Thank you.

Best regards

Alfred

Have you thought about going to the Mayo Clinic? I know you live in Australia and it is a long way to go but it seems like you have a lot going on.
Hope you feel better.

Helen

I had cervical spine surgery last year at 67 . The front was amazing but the screws didn’t not hold and the backside had to be more extensive (c3 - t2). So much of my pain is gone after 60 years from an auto accident and work related issues. But so much is still painful while healing over the year. Much is myofacial, so I supplement with deep tissue massage. Your radiology looked a lot like mine. Make sure you have best orthopedic surgeon. I trust mine. My recovery has taken a full year. I still want to work so I endure self made pain. It takes a complement of things. Botox, pain killers, P.T. And going back to p.t. After a six month break. I am so severely round shouldered the rod is hard to adjust to but my posture looks magnificent!!! The good with the bad.

Alfred: I’m so sorry to hear that you are suffering so badly. You didn’t do anything wrong or “stupid.” You were in great pain and relied on a qualified surgeon who gave you assurances that a procedure would provide relief. The outcome is not your fault. Sadly, I have no advice to give. I’m struggling with cervical stenosis, but not close to the degree that you are. I hope you can eventually find some answers and at least some lasting comfort.

Dr Deukmedjan also created 2 lumps between C6 and C7 on my neck at the rear that I didn't have before the operation.

This area is blocking me from tilting my head backward.

Hi Colleen,

how are you?

Thank you for your contribution.

I am not sure if I suffer from EDS because the neurosurgeons here in Melbourne Australia, never diagnosed me with this condition.

Obviously the multiple bone spurs, impinged nervers, the altered cervical spine structure contribute to almost chronic spasms that contract my neck muscles causing tighneess, stifness etc.

When I am at my worst I feel as if my head is being pushed forward. Not sure if the muscles in the neck are kicking in constantly to keep my head stable.

The only drug that is very beneficial to me, is buprenorphine 2mg sublingual. I tried oxycodone, tapentadol, gabapentin, nortriptyline which do not agree with me therefore I stopped taking them.

I know the theory of relaxation, but it not easy for me to practice relaxation techniques when I am under the pain hammer.

Alfred

Hi, Alfred.

I feel for you and your suffering. I looked up your surgeon in Florida and he has some bad ratings.

Have you talked to an orthopedic spine specialist who specializes in cervical structure? I had ACDF surgery on my c5c6 level due to cervical spondylotic myelopathy. I needed my compression and flattening of spinal cord decompressed due to neurological decline. I can still move my neck pretty well after one level decompression.

It seems with all of your bike riding and leaning forward and looking up, your spine has straightened and c7 has slipped slightly forward over your t1 vertebrae. You also seem to have compression on c4-c8 exiting nerves through narrowed foraminal spaces which could be causing your pain/numbness/tingling/pins and needles/burning pain. The cervical levels could also impact your lower body. Have you had a lumbar MRI to check for any compression that would be causing your leg/foot pain symptoms?

Your MRI seems to show you may have bone growths at multiple levels that need to be removed if irritating or compressing nerves/nerve roots. Your MRI also shows you have multiple small benign tumors of blood vessels and not sure how this is treated if they press on nearby nerves. It may be good to ask a reputable orthopedic spine specialist if stabilizing your cervical spine with fusions and cleaning out bone spurs/benign tumors would help relieve nerve pain. Nerves may have grown back after your earlier nerve surgery which is causing increased/new pain.

...continuing from previous, I asked my GP for cortisone injections to ease my pain but he told me that it wouldn't help me even though my neurologist recommended it.

I think I am not getting much support from the medical professiionals.

I even asked them if if PRP/STEM CELLS injections could help me. They told me that it is experimental and they don't know much about it.

Alfred,

You have my complete empathy. I too have been suffering essentially the same as you since July 2022. I have been diagnosed with multi-level DDD, the genesis I believe was a horrific whiplash injury I suffered in 1998. I now have constant muscle spasms on the left side of my neck and intermittent pain down my arm. I have lost the cervical lordosis, so my head always feels like it is being pushed forward. I had severe nerve root compression at C6-7 that has partially resorbed, but C4-5 is bad too. Problems at literally every level and arthritis due to the wishlash injury.

I have seen multiple surgeons, with varying opinions, with some not recommending surgery. They are all good surgeons, but I don't know who to trust, nor what to do. I simply cannot explain what it has done to me mentally. I am no longer the person I was. People see the anguish on my face. I am constantly depressed and feel trapped, with the darkest of thoughts going through my head on a daily basis. I am now a functional alcoholic, struggling to continue providing for my wife and kids. If there is a higher power, I wish I would be taken in the middle of the night so that I don't have to suffer any longer. I wish you the very best Alfred.

Hi, so sorry. Are you in the US? If so, I would suggest Rothman Institute (FL, NY or Philly) or Mayo Clinic MN. I had C 3-6 ACDF in 2022. Just found out (second opinion for the constant pain) that C4-5 were never fused. Woo hoo. Now I know why all the continuous pain, headaches, muscle spasms and nerve impingement but it also means another spine surgery. Find (gentle) neck stretches from physical therapy to add to your daily regimen to see if that’ll help. Also if it’s an option, massage therapy. Best of luck.