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Neck and shoulder pain after fusion surgery-techniques for reducing?
Spine Health | Last Active: May 5 6:14am | Replies (28)Comment receiving replies
Thanks for your reply, Jennifer.
I have tried Myofascial Release, along with a couple of different types of Physical Therapy, including Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization. It feels good while I'm getting it done, but after it's done, I'm back where I started from. I've tried Foam Rolling for my Shoulders. I'm familiar with a lot of techniques because I was a Competitive Bodybuilder and used quite a few techniques after injuries.
If I don't get any relief from the Steroid Injections, I'll move on to the Radio Frequency Ablation, and if that doesn't work, I'm going to look into having the hardware in my neck removed as I feel it's causing the problem.
Sincerely,
Joe
Replies to "Thanks for your reply, Jennifer. I have tried Myofascial Release, along with a couple of different..."
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@jp4355 Joe, it can be the hardware itself causing pain. Some people have immune responses to the foreign materials. I was lucky that I had a cervical fusion with no hardware, and only a natural bone disc implant, and I haven't had much pain from that surgery. When I broke my ankle, I became the owner of internal titanium plates, and within 6 months I had increased throbbing pain and hives. I got those plates removed after a year and a half which was an improvement for my ankle and the sharp pains stopped.
I do know that myofascial release is a long process because there are many layers of it to work through, and I have to keep doing stretches to maintain what I've gained. I mostly do that myself because insurance doesn't want to pay if they consider something maintenance treatment.
You are wanting the rods and screws removed? Other patients have talked about that here on Connect and also said that if was difficult to find a surgeon willing to remove instrumentation without it being a revision surgery to reconstruct the hardware. Here are some discussions I found in the Spine Group with members talking about hardware removal.
Spinal fusion: Hardware removal
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/hardware-removal/
Back fusion hardware removal
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/back-fusion-hardware-removal/
Lumbar hardware removal due to osteomyelitis
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/lumbar-hardware-removal-due-to-osteomyelitis/
I’ve had all my hardware removed after T2-T10 fusion. Ask me anything.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ive-had-all-my-hardware-removed-after-t2-t10-fusion-ask-me-anything/
I wasn't a fan of steroid injections. I likely had an allergic reaction to something in the mixture which I think was PEG (polyethylene glycol) . I had some sharp electric burning pain caused by an epidural injection that was shooting pain into my hand, and that went on randomly for about 6 weeks. I refused to do more injections when doctors suggested this to me. I am a person who reacts to foreign materials.
I hope you find something that helps you. If you are a person who is reactive, and they can't remove the metal from your body, there are some treatments for immune responses to surgical implants. The field of Environmental Medicine was started by a practice in Dallas, TX. Here is the website of that practice.
https://www.ehcd.com/
Again, welcome to Connect where we can all share what we have learned.
Jennifer