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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
@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
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Thanks for your response, Jennifer.
I would say that I'm not reactive to hardware.
I had a Double Hip Replacement in 2016, and 17, and my Hips are doing great.
I've had plenty of Cortisone Shots over many Decades, they either work or they don't.
So, I'm hopeful that these will work.
If not, I'm going to get the Ablation done, I've had Ablation before for the Great Saphenous Veins in both legs, it went great too.
The reason I mention getting the Hardware removed is because the Pain has been getting steadily worse. It started just in my neck going down in-between my shoulder blades.
Then it started to move outward to both Shoulders.
Next, it went around the outer Shoulder on both sides, and into the Collar Bone.
Now I'm feeling it into my Breastbone.
I'm going to request another MRI to check on the hardware placement.
Since I've already had Issues with 2 Screws coming loose.
I'm over at the University of Penn in Philadelphia, Pa.
And the Philadelphia V.A. Hospital, since the doctors from Penn work there and I'm a Veteran.
So, I'm going back a forth between the 2, since they both have access to the Doctor/Patient Portal and can view everything that's going on between doctors.
Thank you again, Jennifer for your time and suggestions.
Joe