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Cervical disk replacement surgery: What helps with the pain?
Spine Health | Last Active: Aug 31, 2022 | Replies (15)Comment receiving replies
Hi there,
Saw a few of your posts regarding your disc replacements and decided to join so I could chat with you! First of all I hope you are well and have completed your PT appointments. Have you sorted out your insurance company? I understand the ridiculous runaround they have you go through and do PT before anything else.
I had 2 level disc replacement in June 2021. Everything has been going well and then a about 2 months ago I started to feel one of the discs click. More like a notching feeling. No pain, no other issues other than horrible headaches when I wake up which usually progress to a migraine. In the last 2 months Ive taken more migraine medicine than I had In the prior 2 years. It been hard to find anyone who has experienced noise from their discs - so far an MRI and X-ray shows that the discs are where they’re supposed to be. Today I had a CT scan which will show my surgeon if there is anything wrong with the disc itself. I’ve had migraines and beaches upon waking prior to surgery but these “new” headaches started at the same time I felt the disc “clicking” 13 months post op. Just wondered if you have experienced similar things and what they determined your headaches were from?
Hopefully you are feeling better or have an answer as to your disc situation and future surgery.
-Sherri
Replies to "Hi there, Saw a few of your posts regarding your disc replacements and decided to join..."
I sherri,
My fusion of c5-c7 makes the same sounds and causes the same feeling you described. This was performed in 2014 and almost immediately post PT this showed up. I recently began seeing a acupuncture / herbalist and she has eliminated the pain completely. You may want to speak with some friends to see if any have a relationship with acupuncture / herbalist.
Warmest regards, Ted
@sheredwrds I am also a cervical spine surgery patient, but mine was a fusion. The facet joints can also click and can be affected by arthritis when they get too much pressure on them. These are the joints that allow the spine to rotate. Are you able to reproduce the click with movement or is it random. Has your doctor herd the click?
The migraines you are experiencing may be related to muscle spasms in your neck. If some vertebrae are getting independently rotated by a spasm, it stretches muscles that complain, and it causes muscular headaches similar to migraines. You may wish to consult a physical therapist who can figure out if this is happening. My PT also does myofascial release which has been very beneficial for fixing this problem for me. Here is our discussion on MFR and you can find a provider search at http://mfrtherapists.com/
-Myofascial Release Therapy (MFR) for treating compression and pain: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/myofascial-release-therapy-mfr-for-treating-compression-and-pain/
Have you heard of myofascial release before?
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Hi Sherri
Welcome to the group and nice to meet you!
I didn't finish my PT. I only got half the sessions done. My husband got sick and I couldn't leave him. Then, 7 weeks ago, he passed away.
I did very well with the disc replacement I had for about 2 years. Then. I started getting headaches, but only when I slept. Guess it has something to do with the position because when I got up, it would be gone within an hour or so.
However, I now get HORRIBLE pain from my shoulder blade to my fingers. I also get the clicking in my neck.
My last MRI showed that I started growing new bone around the surgical site and they are fusing. This is NOT what should happen!!!
I need another surgery to remove the artificial disc's. My insurance company said no surgery. They said my spine looks good and PT should be done.
Don't get me wr, I am blessed to have a great insurance plan, but they hire these 3rd party people to determine authorizations and they are idiots!! Each time they say to get PT, I leave in worse shape than when I started.
Anyway now the paingets so bad, that I actually went to the ER.
I am currently waiting again, to try to get approval for surgery.
We'll see.
How are things going for you now???