What treatments for spinal cord compression symptoms post op 2 years

Jab29, exactly where is the spinal cord compression. And exactly what is compressing the spinal cord. The latest MRI should tell you. You might want to see an uninvolved orthopedic surgeon.
Meanwhile, have you seen a pain specialist. A brachial nerve block might relieve some of the pain.
It is tiring to keep searching, especially when we are in pain.
Jennifer will be along any minute now with the best advice.

Thank you for responding!!!My compression was at c5 c6 . The newest MRI with flexion shows no further compression happening. ACDF hardware appears stable. A small spot on spinal cord shows some white resolution still . It’s been two years since that injury. I keep getting diagnosed with new diagnosis. All the drugs and a Stella ganglion block was tried with no results a year ago. My newest symptoms are spasms in in muscles and burning sensation in different parts of body . Mostly right side arm pain with trapezius muscle on right going into atrophy. Feet arches ache and sometimes I feel like I’m in constant flight fight response . One neuro muscular doctor said I had a possible spinal assessory nerve damage. They want to try a drug called Melexitine to block electrical pulses. Yes under pain management.

@jab29
What caused the post op compression of your spinal cord after ACDF of your c5-c6? What were your symptoms before the surgery and your diagnosis at that time? Was this a failed surgery?

If you have a new herniated disc, bone spur/osteophyte, ligament buckling causing central spinal stenosis, spinal cord flattening/compression, etc., you need surgery to fix this.

I had ACDF on c5-c6 in 2022 due to cervical myelopathy spinal cord compression injury. Six months later there was a large osteophyte complex at the same level causing symptoms. I now have a new herniated disc at c6-c7 that is centrally compressing my spinal cord and causing myelopathy symptoms. I am having a 2nd ACDF surgery on c6-c7 in May.

Non surgical treatment will not properly deal with spinal cord injury and you need surgery to stop the progression of injury and permanent spinal cord damage. You may need to get 2nd and 3rd opinions of orthopedic spine specialists and get an updated EMG/nerve conduction study of your upper and lower limbs to see if you also have any radiculopathy.

This is an urgent need for surgery so please do not delay any further. I was misdiagnosed for over 5 years when I had myelopathy all along and now have some permanent damage.

@jab29
Whatever you do, be careful not to fall and do not get any neck adjustments by a chiropractor or PT/massage. You do not want to further injure your spinal cord.

@jab29
Did you have an accident that injured your spinal cord at c5-c6 which was the reason you had surgery or did the surgeon injure your spinal cord?

Have you seen a neurologist to check your brain/full spinal column with MRI with and without contrast?

Thank you for your reply. I had ACDF surgery at C5 C6 two years ago due to a nerve root compression on the left side shortly after surgery within six weeks suffered, spinal cord compression at the surgical site discovery and cause of this injury is unknown. I suspect injury during surgery as I complained often about my recovery. I’ve been to two neurosurgeons for a second opinions as well as two neurologist, including a muscular neurologist, all current MRIs and CT scans keep showing no new compression however, I have been experiencing newer symptoms within the last 4 to 6 . I’ve been to two additional neurosurgeons and each say that I’m not a surgical candidate the neuromuscular doctor suspects myelopathy pain syndrome due to spinal cord injury from two years ago. I’m trying to get another EMG study for upper extremities this week and seen a third neurosurgeon for his opinion. I feel so defeated . Symptoms currently are burning sensation in back of neck head and scalp arms and legs . Muscle twitches and aching Feel weak and often feel like my body is on a constant fight flight. And experiencing vision changes too. Rochester Mayo denied my attempt to consult they just won’t take on my case even though I’m covered with insurance and I’m trying to get in to clevand clinic next . I m exhausted and feel like these last two years have been passed around from one doc to the next or try this medication . Just not getting any clear answers

@jab29
Did you ever have a MRI of your brain?

Does your cervical MRI show any spinal cord/thecal sac flattening or compression? No disc bulges or herniations? No bone spurs/osteophytes? No buckling or thickening of ligaments?

Have you read all of your medical records of imaging and test results in detail? Did your cervical MRI before ACDF surgery show any spinal cord flattening/compression or signal changes or did this show up only after surgery? How long after surgery did you get an updated cervical MRI to see what was causing your new symptoms?

@jab29
Neurologists can do the EMG/nerve conduction studies of upper and lower limbs but this just detects nerve signal from spinal nerve roots to limbs (radiculopathy if spinal nerve roots pinched) and nerve health within limbs/peripheral muscles. EMGs cannot really measure what is going on in spinal cord if injured (like from myelopathy compression injury).

You may want your neurologist to do small fiber neuropathy skin punch biopsy using samples from thigh/ankle to see if that is causing your burning sensations.

Have you ever had your thoracic or lumbar spine MRI done?

My last MRI of cervical and thoracic is done in January showing stability no signs of compression . I will have a MRI of the brain today. So far, no new unusual development. Showing new compression. I read all my report and don’t see any specific details leading to bone spurs osteophytes. Signal changes in the spinal cord have diminished overtime and no new signal changes are noted at C5 C6. The neuromuscular doctor wants to put me on Melexitine 150mg to calm the nerves which acts like a linacaine numbing the nerves. Since they can’t find anything suspicious in the MRIs and CT scans I will definitely ask about the small fiber biopsy. Which hasn’t been mentioned yet as a rule out. I won’t be able to get my 3rd opinion from neurosurgeon until May 9 . Thank you for your response as it helps to ask me questions to doctors hopefully, they will be willing to pursue other avenues

I’m also getting a dynamic cervical with flexion mri to check for those changes next week