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Have 0 pain but c5 to 7 c spinal fusion recommended due to mri, EMG?
Spine Health | Last Active: Dec 2, 2025 | Replies (13)Comment receiving replies
I've had spinal fusion procedures done on my neck at the C5-C6 level, and then 18 months later at the C7-T1 level. They used a piece of donor bone, along with a plate and screws both times, and the results have been positive. The last surgery was in 2018, and I know that having them done was an absolute necessity in my case because the discs had ruptured.
I've also had 3 carpal tunnel surgeries, one on my left hand and twice on my right. The first procedure didn't work, and I ended up with numbness in my thumb and index finger. A neurosurgeon did the second operation, and told me the numbness might go away, but it didn't. I can't feel anything with those fingers, and just trying to pick up or hold something in my hand is frustratingly maddening at times.
If your neurosurgeon thinks the surgery is necessary I'd go through with it.
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@mrmacabre @boriesmom I have had carpal tunnel surgery that helped partially, but didn’t resolve a hand problem and I also had a whiplash injury that eventually lead to spinal fusion. The big thing that was missed by the hand surgeon was TOS thoracic outlet syndrome because they cause the same symptoms by compression of the same nerves but in the shoulder usually between the collarbone and rib cage area. TOS can be caused by an injury such as a whiplash or repetitive stress. My TOS treatment has just been physically therapy.
My suggestion is to find a neurologist familiar with TOS or a thoracic vascular surgeon familiar with it. Look for a specialist at a medical center that lists it as a condition they treat. If your spine issue was an injury, TOS may have happened as a result of the injury. Having conditions with overlapping symptoms really confuses the problem and many doctors do not understand TOS and patients (myself included) are misdiagnosed and go several years before getting a correct diagnosis.
Do you think it would be wise to get an evaluation for TOS before having hand surgery? Certainly there can be more than one problem area at the same time or it could be one issue masking as a different problem. I think the spine surgeon is looking for you to clean up anything that could muddy the success if he does surgery. Spine surgeons can also miss TOS. They do not cover it well in medical school according to my neurologist.