chalkj
06-03-2003, 04:53 PM
I am new to this board. I have cervical spinal stenosis, with cord compression. The most severe compression has the cord down to 5mm. I have seen
4 NS and had 2 different opinions. Two have recommended anterior discectomy and 2 have recommended
laminectomy because I have involvement with 4 levels.
I have had the typical symptoms - pain, weakness, tingling in my arm and hands, but those have pretty much gone away. I am left with severe burning and tingling in both my feet. Neurologist thinks it is unrelated, but I'm not sure. Has anyone out there had
similar condition? I would appreciate any help.
Chalkj
4 NS and had 2 different opinions. Two have recommended anterior discectomy and 2 have recommended
laminectomy because I have involvement with 4 levels.
I have had the typical symptoms - pain, weakness, tingling in my arm and hands, but those have pretty much gone away. I am left with severe burning and tingling in both my feet. Neurologist thinks it is unrelated, but I'm not sure. Has anyone out there had
similar condition? I would appreciate any help.
Chalkj
Sponsor
joprud
06-03-2003, 10:11 PM
Hi Chalkj,
I've not had any surgeries so I'm afraid I can't answer your question but I wanted to welcome you to our Spiney Family...I look forward to getting to know you...Again, Welcome Aboard...I'm sure someone will be along soon with some answers.
Take Care, :wave:
Joanne
------------------
Sept‘63,fall on back on stairs,compression fractures of T6 and T8
1993 X-ray Diagnosed DDD
Nov,2002 MRI C4-C5 posterior osteophytic bar effacing ventral thecal sac, stenosis of neural foramina.C5-C6 posterior disc protrusion effacing VTS. Stenosis of neural foramina.C6-C7 posterior disc herniation effacing VTS.stenosis of neural foramina.C7-T1perineural cysts in both neural foramina.left convex scoliosis mid thoracic spine.wedging of T7. wedging of T5.degen.end plate changes at T8-T9. L4-L5 diffuse disc bulge effacing VTS.hypertrophy of facet joints,central spinal stenosis.L5-S1 posterior disc protrusion with associated tear of annulus fibrosis. hypertrophy of facet joints.S1-S2 Perineural cysts involving S1-S2 nerve roots.
So far have tried: meds,physio,acupuncture all to no avail.
I've not had any surgeries so I'm afraid I can't answer your question but I wanted to welcome you to our Spiney Family...I look forward to getting to know you...Again, Welcome Aboard...I'm sure someone will be along soon with some answers.
Take Care, :wave:
Joanne
------------------
Sept‘63,fall on back on stairs,compression fractures of T6 and T8
1993 X-ray Diagnosed DDD
Nov,2002 MRI C4-C5 posterior osteophytic bar effacing ventral thecal sac, stenosis of neural foramina.C5-C6 posterior disc protrusion effacing VTS. Stenosis of neural foramina.C6-C7 posterior disc herniation effacing VTS.stenosis of neural foramina.C7-T1perineural cysts in both neural foramina.left convex scoliosis mid thoracic spine.wedging of T7. wedging of T5.degen.end plate changes at T8-T9. L4-L5 diffuse disc bulge effacing VTS.hypertrophy of facet joints,central spinal stenosis.L5-S1 posterior disc protrusion with associated tear of annulus fibrosis. hypertrophy of facet joints.S1-S2 Perineural cysts involving S1-S2 nerve roots.
So far have tried: meds,physio,acupuncture all to no avail.
magtize
06-03-2003, 11:56 PM
Hi Chalkj
Can't help you with answers but wanted to welcome
you a board. You will be getting some answers soon as this is a great bunch. Have only been here a few weeks and already feels like I have an extended family. Ones who truely understand.Ones that answer your fears,
listen to you vent and are still here for you.
Again a warm welcome
Elaine
------------------
car accident 72 S2 fused 76 Surgery 96 c5-6 fused
aug pains in neck started with pain meds. had X-rays MRI Mylagram
c2-3 c3-4 broadbase buldge c6-7 buldge.pinched nerve,arthritis,spinal stenosis.Meds.Celebrex200mg 1 a day Lexapro 10mg 1 day apap/codeine 300mg as needed oxycod/apap 500 mg as needed neurontin 300mg 2 xs a day Massages,PT,PM SO FAR NO RELIEFLost job as have been off work since Sept 02 3 good days since then
Can't help you with answers but wanted to welcome
you a board. You will be getting some answers soon as this is a great bunch. Have only been here a few weeks and already feels like I have an extended family. Ones who truely understand.Ones that answer your fears,
listen to you vent and are still here for you.
Again a warm welcome
Elaine
------------------
car accident 72 S2 fused 76 Surgery 96 c5-6 fused
aug pains in neck started with pain meds. had X-rays MRI Mylagram
c2-3 c3-4 broadbase buldge c6-7 buldge.pinched nerve,arthritis,spinal stenosis.Meds.Celebrex200mg 1 a day Lexapro 10mg 1 day apap/codeine 300mg as needed oxycod/apap 500 mg as needed neurontin 300mg 2 xs a day Massages,PT,PM SO FAR NO RELIEFLost job as have been off work since Sept 02 3 good days since then
chalkj
06-04-2003, 11:51 AM
Joprud and Magtize,
Thanks for your response. I'm sorry that both of you
have had a lot of pain and changes in your life style.
Hopefully we can share some things that seem to help.
I have found that working out in the gym gives me
relief of pain and stiffness. Seems like it would make it worse, but actually makes the neck, arms and
legs feel better. I only take neurontin and over-the-
counter pain relievers. Let me know if there is any
question I may be able to answer for you. I live in
the Kansas City area.
Chalkj
Thanks for your response. I'm sorry that both of you
have had a lot of pain and changes in your life style.
Hopefully we can share some things that seem to help.
I have found that working out in the gym gives me
relief of pain and stiffness. Seems like it would make it worse, but actually makes the neck, arms and
legs feel better. I only take neurontin and over-the-
counter pain relievers. Let me know if there is any
question I may be able to answer for you. I live in
the Kansas City area.
Chalkj
chalkj
06-04-2003, 11:54 AM
Joprud and Magtize,
Thanks for your response. I'm sorry that both of you
have had a lot of pain and changes in your life style.
Hopefully we can share some things that seem to help.
I have found that working out in the gym gives me
relief of pain and stiffness. Seems like it would make it worse, but actually makes the neck, arms and
legs feel better. I only take neurontin and over-the-
counter pain relievers. Let me know if there is any
question I may be able to answer for you. I live in
the Kansas City area.
Chalkj
Thanks for your response. I'm sorry that both of you
have had a lot of pain and changes in your life style.
Hopefully we can share some things that seem to help.
I have found that working out in the gym gives me
relief of pain and stiffness. Seems like it would make it worse, but actually makes the neck, arms and
legs feel better. I only take neurontin and over-the-
counter pain relievers. Let me know if there is any
question I may be able to answer for you. I live in
the Kansas City area.
Chalkj
rollercoasterfan
06-04-2003, 12:10 PM
Hi Chalkj,
Welcome aboard. I am also new as of two days ago but I feel like I have found a place where people understand my pain and problems. We all may be a little different but you would be surprised how many people are in the same boat.
I also have a compression in the spinal area. My symptoms are similar except the feet. :)
My story is a little different, I started out with one fusion c6-7. Now, five years later I am facing 2 more surgeries...one in C 3-6 (three areas) and one in C7-T1. My doctor does not want to do them all at once because it would expose too much of the spine and the surgery is not "emergency" surgery. Therefore he is doing an anterior approach for my surgery this July 2. I am not sure how he would do the C7-T1 surgery but that is a year away and I need to take one step at a time. If all of my fusions were in a "row" without 6-7 already being fused, I think he would do things differently. But that is my case.
The reason I am waiting a year in between is I am a school teacher and I am using my summer vacation to "take care of business".
I think I would ask each of the doctors what is their reasoning behind the different approaches and do what you feel most comfortable doing. I know from experience that the anterior surgery is not fun but not the worse surgery ever. I have no experience with laminectomy surgery so I can't speak from experience on that.
Good luck with your decision and "welcome" the place I call my saniety zone. God Bless!
Hugs,
Suzie
:angel:
------------------
ACDF 6-7 june 1998
Surgery July 2, 2003
[This message has been edited by rollercoasterfan (edited 06-04-2003).]
Welcome aboard. I am also new as of two days ago but I feel like I have found a place where people understand my pain and problems. We all may be a little different but you would be surprised how many people are in the same boat.
I also have a compression in the spinal area. My symptoms are similar except the feet. :)
My story is a little different, I started out with one fusion c6-7. Now, five years later I am facing 2 more surgeries...one in C 3-6 (three areas) and one in C7-T1. My doctor does not want to do them all at once because it would expose too much of the spine and the surgery is not "emergency" surgery. Therefore he is doing an anterior approach for my surgery this July 2. I am not sure how he would do the C7-T1 surgery but that is a year away and I need to take one step at a time. If all of my fusions were in a "row" without 6-7 already being fused, I think he would do things differently. But that is my case.
The reason I am waiting a year in between is I am a school teacher and I am using my summer vacation to "take care of business".
I think I would ask each of the doctors what is their reasoning behind the different approaches and do what you feel most comfortable doing. I know from experience that the anterior surgery is not fun but not the worse surgery ever. I have no experience with laminectomy surgery so I can't speak from experience on that.
Good luck with your decision and "welcome" the place I call my saniety zone. God Bless!
Hugs,
Suzie
:angel:
------------------
ACDF 6-7 june 1998
Surgery July 2, 2003
[This message has been edited by rollercoasterfan (edited 06-04-2003).]
chalkj
06-04-2003, 02:31 PM
Hi Suzie,
Thanks for the encouragement. Sounds like you have
had more experience with this sort of thing than
anyone should have. I would like to hear how things
go with you. May God Bless you and... stay off those
rollercoasters!
Chalkj
Thanks for the encouragement. Sounds like you have
had more experience with this sort of thing than
anyone should have. I would like to hear how things
go with you. May God Bless you and... stay off those
rollercoasters!
Chalkj
melanie dawn
06-04-2003, 03:07 PM
Hi Chalkj,
I also have cervial stenosis and cord compression. I started with neck pain and arm weakness after a car accident. but after a year I had severe burning pain in my right leg and numbness. At first I was told it was not connected to my neck . Except by my physio, everytime she applied pressure to my neck, the pain shot down my leg. All of the back tests were negative. She was the first person to suggest cord compression in the neck. The NS i saw explained that the long tracts of the spinal cord, are on the outside of the cord and when compressed affect the legs.
You will find there have been quite a few of us who have the compression and leg symptoms. If you do a search, you will come across the term " sensory march". This pertains to the fact that the pain may start in the feet and work its way up, or start at the top and go down. Our spinal cords are the link between the brain and the body, the rule of thumb is that everything below the level of injury is effected or can be affected.
I am glad you found the board, there is a wealth of info and support here.
Do you also have myelopthy, brisk and or abnormal reflexes? I do, and at first we talked about laminctomy, 5 levels plus rods and cage. But at present we are aiming for 3 level ACDF, which will take care of the immediate compression, but will still leave me with the congenital stenosis. Personally I would have wanted the 5 level laminectomy, so that I never have to worry about this happening again. With doing the ACDF i will need more surgery in the future, but hopefully not for a long time.
Welcome aboard, and take care,
Mel
[This message has been edited by melanie dawn (edited 06-04-2003).]
I also have cervial stenosis and cord compression. I started with neck pain and arm weakness after a car accident. but after a year I had severe burning pain in my right leg and numbness. At first I was told it was not connected to my neck . Except by my physio, everytime she applied pressure to my neck, the pain shot down my leg. All of the back tests were negative. She was the first person to suggest cord compression in the neck. The NS i saw explained that the long tracts of the spinal cord, are on the outside of the cord and when compressed affect the legs.
You will find there have been quite a few of us who have the compression and leg symptoms. If you do a search, you will come across the term " sensory march". This pertains to the fact that the pain may start in the feet and work its way up, or start at the top and go down. Our spinal cords are the link between the brain and the body, the rule of thumb is that everything below the level of injury is effected or can be affected.
I am glad you found the board, there is a wealth of info and support here.
Do you also have myelopthy, brisk and or abnormal reflexes? I do, and at first we talked about laminctomy, 5 levels plus rods and cage. But at present we are aiming for 3 level ACDF, which will take care of the immediate compression, but will still leave me with the congenital stenosis. Personally I would have wanted the 5 level laminectomy, so that I never have to worry about this happening again. With doing the ACDF i will need more surgery in the future, but hopefully not for a long time.
Welcome aboard, and take care,
Mel
[This message has been edited by melanie dawn (edited 06-04-2003).]
angelfan
06-04-2003, 11:33 PM
Hi Chalkj,
I read your post, and since I had a four level laminectomy myself, I thought I may be able to answer some of your questions. Please let me know what they are. In my case, cord compression was also severe, and I wasn't given much time to mull it over. My breathing was severely affected, so my NS was concerned that I could simply stop breathing in my sleep due to the fact that the nerves to my lungs were so severely compressed. Also experienced severe dizziness, muscle twitching ALL over, difficulty swallowing, and gait problems (left leg was affected). Had laminect. C3/4/5/6, rods, screws, fusion using my own bone harvested from the laminectomy (higher rate of successful fusion that way). Very difficult surgery, difficult recovery - I won't lie to you. All in all, I am thrilled with the results; most of my neuro symptoms have improved. Fusion takes much getting used to, and I have been having some problems with shoulder pain recently. My surgery was two years ago this month. Please let me know if I can answer any questions. Take care!
Angelfan
I read your post, and since I had a four level laminectomy myself, I thought I may be able to answer some of your questions. Please let me know what they are. In my case, cord compression was also severe, and I wasn't given much time to mull it over. My breathing was severely affected, so my NS was concerned that I could simply stop breathing in my sleep due to the fact that the nerves to my lungs were so severely compressed. Also experienced severe dizziness, muscle twitching ALL over, difficulty swallowing, and gait problems (left leg was affected). Had laminect. C3/4/5/6, rods, screws, fusion using my own bone harvested from the laminectomy (higher rate of successful fusion that way). Very difficult surgery, difficult recovery - I won't lie to you. All in all, I am thrilled with the results; most of my neuro symptoms have improved. Fusion takes much getting used to, and I have been having some problems with shoulder pain recently. My surgery was two years ago this month. Please let me know if I can answer any questions. Take care!
Angelfan
chalkj
06-05-2003, 02:22 PM
Thank you angelfan. I appreciate your response. It sounds like you have been through a pretty bad ordeal.
I'm glad to hear that you are doing well. I hope the
shoulder pain is temporary. It's really nice to have someone to talk to who has been through similar problems. I have been putting off surgery for a year and a half. I wanted to do all the research I could about the various surgeries and the outcomes. It seems that outcomes are generally better with ACDF than with
laminectomy. In my case, most of the compression is from bone spurs and bulging discs in the front, so a lamiectomy would not address those problems, but would obviously alleviate some of the compression. A couple of NS have suggested going after the worst 2 of the 4 from the front and waiting to see about the other 2.
The other NS has said the laminectomy is my best option, since I have 4 levels. How does this jive with the information that you have had? Sorry to be
so wordy. Thanks again for your reply.
Chalkj
I'm glad to hear that you are doing well. I hope the
shoulder pain is temporary. It's really nice to have someone to talk to who has been through similar problems. I have been putting off surgery for a year and a half. I wanted to do all the research I could about the various surgeries and the outcomes. It seems that outcomes are generally better with ACDF than with
laminectomy. In my case, most of the compression is from bone spurs and bulging discs in the front, so a lamiectomy would not address those problems, but would obviously alleviate some of the compression. A couple of NS have suggested going after the worst 2 of the 4 from the front and waiting to see about the other 2.
The other NS has said the laminectomy is my best option, since I have 4 levels. How does this jive with the information that you have had? Sorry to be
so wordy. Thanks again for your reply.
Chalkj