Quote:
Originally Posted by LauraB
CG,
Strangely enough - I was told the same thing from my neurologist as well. I had experienced muscle spasms and moderate to severe migraines that WAS related to my neck problems. When I experienced these "headaches," I could feel physical pain at the base of my neck which radiated over the top of my head with skull-crushing intensity. My muscle and nerve pain was ALWAYS tied to any type of upper body movement. After my surgery, I've only experienced one extreme headache (just this past weekend); I'm not sure if it was at all related to my neck - as it felt somewhat different.
I can certainly empathize with your pain as it can be so debilitating. I agree with JSS; you need to obtain other opinions - not necessarily to get the "magic" answer you seek, but to get continuity with diagnosis and treatment plans. Whether my migraines are completely cured, or not....my degenerative disc disease (I believe) has been stopped in its path. I am hoping that my ADR protects (absorbing the mobile energy displaced by my prior fusion) the adjacent levels.
How long have you experienced these symptoms? Also do you have past diagnostics that indicate changes in these levels? I waited five years (due to my obstinate stand on fusion) with alternating symptoms - never quite sure what to do....it came a time when the quality of life dictates intervention.
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LauraB,
I have been experiencing neck pain and muscle spasms for about 6 years and the headaches I have had since I was 21 years old. In the last year it has been constant and the pain never goes away. It is just varying degrees of pain. I do believe the headaches are coming from my neck even though it may not be coming from the C5/C6 area and in fact you described the pain that I feel.
The MRI that I had in May 2012 did not show spinal compression anywhere. Whereas, the most recent MRI show moderate spinal compression and foraminal stenosis at C5/C6.
Dr.Yeung said that ADR would not correct the symptoms that I have and in fact may make the headaches worse because it would make my neck unstable. He recommended fusion instead. I am still leary about having fusion done. That is the reason why I went to him because he did both fusion and ADR. But I understand his reasoning.
Did you get "headaches" before you had fusion done? Stupid question, but do you have arthritis in your neck?
Do you think that the fusion surgery affect above and below levels?
Thanks for responding to me.