Severe nerve pain in the C2 and C3 area of your neck

You need an orthopedic surgeon to tell you of your options. You have provided no background for us to say anything that might address your need. I had damage from an accident (age 8), I had arthritis from the accident develop as I aged in my sixties. I needed surgery and fusion. The best advice I can provide is to seek consultation with various orthopedic spine surgeons. See who you like and who has successful outcomes. Not saying you need surgery, but then THEY direct you. Mine did my lumbar fusion first, and 5 years later it was the cervical neck's turn! My spine surgeon I am married to for life! The damage caused early in my life began plaguing me in my 30s and was resolved in my 60s.

I had a C2 to C3 facet block six days ago and have received zero relief. My goal is to obtain an ablation in this area. Has anyone had a similar procedure?

@ksealover59 - hi, and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I'm sorry to hear your facet block did not deliver the relief you were hoping for.

I wanted to let you know I moved your post here so you could connect with others talking about C2 to C3 issues:

- Severe nerve pain in the C2 and C3 area of your neck https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/severe-nerve-pain-in-the-c2-and-c3-area-of-your-neck/

Fellow members such as @loriesco @eddieboy143 and @jenniferhunter may have some insights for you as you weigh how your block went and look at a potential ablation.

How is your pain today, ksealover59?

Yes! I used Botox and an MFR therapist! The Botox paralyzed the rhomboid, levator scapula, trapezius and mastoid occipital muscles beautifully! The qualified MFR therapist let me know what life could truly be like when my head sat properly on top of my cervical spine! Two sessions with my head properly aligned on top of my spinal column absolutely confirmed I was ready for surgery. I had a long history of neck problems that stemmed from an auto accident as a little girl and also in my middle ages along with a career at a drafting table, which held my shoulders neck and head in a prone position. My fabulous orthopedic surgeon was not 100% on board that I was ready for cervical spine surgery but we work together on things and I knew when my head and Spine were lying and could not stay there for more than 24 hours that it was time for surgery. The cervical disc compression pain was out of this world and the compression impinges on nerve roots that extend to other parts of your body. Mine weren’t presenting down the arms and into the fingers mine was presenting into my scapula trapezius. Oh my God, I had the worst itching ever and ironically, my dad had it as well. We both had a certain amount of scoliosis so when you get older, the upper part of your back gets tweaked out even though it’s the lower part of your back that has the scoliosis.
It was the right thing to do. My policy is to start top down although insurance wants you to go bottom up, but you need to have an MRI and x-ray done of your cervical spine and see what the foundation is telling you. There were so many things in my cervical spine that were an issue. The osteophytes, the arthritis, the misalignment the compression on and on. Hope you find some of this helpful.
PS make sure you love your orthopedic surgeon! Trust is very important.