Degenerative Cervical Spine Disease May Not Progress Over Time

[fortitudine]

Some good news! Degenerative cervical spine disease may not progress over time

[runner]

Fort,

Tell that to my neck. It has been very progressive. LOL.
Or not.

R

[jsewell]

Runner my cervical went down hill quickly
judy

[runner]

Judy,

Well something else we have in common.
It surprised me because with the long wait for L5/S1 to be done, I thought that was a possibility but I maintained minimal disc height loss and good facets and so forth for a long time.
My cervical CT that I got end of March did not look too cheery. The report sounded bad. To go from minimal disc height to severe disc loss in four months that was like getting socked in the stomach. However, I knew the pain was increasing quickly and that usually means things are going downhill.
Funny thing or not, I knew I was headed for surgery when things started going south. So no ADR, two fusions coming up and probably a longer recovery than if I had done something back in November. But my surgeon did the right thing, because if at all possible you should avoid surgery. He is not cut happy. I tried PT and got an "F". Now, I just want to feel better.

R

[jsewell]

Runner,
with my cervical spine it went from pain in the neck and electrical shooting pains to arm weakness in a matter of a few months so that was surgery time. I also went to pt first.
Now for my lumbar area , i just got my f in pt. Sent home, no progress made in 7 weeks. Now i am having a ct on my lumbar tomorrow and see what is next. Probably anterior surgery. I am not happy about the prospect, but i can hardly stand up in anywhere near a straight position in the last 2 weeks. I just fall forward. Allready look 90 years old. What will happen if i live to be old if i do not do the surgery is a question in my mind. Wheelchair for sure.
I'll write soon
Judy

[Maria]

I almost hesitate to say anything because for a while my neck was giving me more problems than my low back. I think when I'm tense and freaking out I get terribly hunched up and knotted and the muscular that leads to my neck starts to spasm terribly.

I had 2 MRIs of my cervical spine but nothing recent because back in 2006 I wasn't surgical candidate and the neck probs I've had in the last few years get knocked out with a shot of Toradol or by taking a few Fioricets so I'm hoping that my C spine is just hanging in there like my low back.

Thankfully my C spine issues don't fall under WC so if I ever have to do anything about that area of my spine hopefully it won't be a huge insurance battle.

[sahuaro]

Unless I missed it, it doesn't say for what period of time the researchers followed the patients.

It was 7 years between my initial cervical injury and surgery. What kept me somewhat functional was PT (yes, for 7 years!). At the point when I was experiencing notable arm weakness and weird movement in my neck, the surgeon said it was time for surgery. Noticing the arm weakness was complicated by also having to have 2 rotator cuff repairs (also from the same MVA)--it was only after I had gone through rehabilitation from those surgeries, that the weakness was obvious.