ACDF surgery January 23, have questions - Spinal Cord Disorders Message Board

badbackpeg · 12-09-2006, 05:54 AM

Hi everyone,

I'm not new to this board, I just rarely post, but read posts daily.

I had fusion of L4/5 in March 05, then the first of this year, I started having neck stiffness, right shoulder and arm pain, and my GP sent me to a heart specialist. After he found nothing wrong with my heart, he did a mri of cervical spine, to find I had a large right sided disc herniation of C6/7, so I went back to see my othopedic spine surgeon. Have done 12 weeks of PT, and 3 Cervical epidurals, which helped for a while, but not long. My symptoms have progressed to arm and leg weakness, agonizing low back pain, with some leg pain, but mostly weakness. I take ultram and flexaril, helps a little with pain, but weakness is another story. I feel at times I am walking on wet noodles for legs. lol

My OS didn't make it clear as to my lower back and leg pain. He said weakness was caused by the cord compression.

My question is can this type of herniation cause this low back and leg pain?

I, of course don't want surgery again, but I feel with cord compression, I really need to do this. Any imput would be apprediated.

Thanks in advance
Peg

PearlDoves · 12-09-2006, 10:19 AM

Cervical compression can cause your legs to have weakness, tingling, numbness, heaviness, I had the same problem(s). You're on the right track, I think surgery is the right move for you now. If you don't get it taken care of you could become much, much worse. If you start to loose bladder or bowl control, you need to have your doc paged and/or get to the ER right away! I think that resistance in trying to "go" might indicate things are getting worse too, so if it happens in a noticable way you should probably talk to your doc as well.

Over all, just take it easy until the surgery. You can check with your doc on this, but I woudln't reocommend doing anything much that would put strain on you neck - such as over head activity or perhaps any heavy lifting. You don't want to do anything that is going to cause the problem to push deeper into the cord.

If after probably 6 months after yoru cervical surgery if your lower back doesn't feel better, then you may want to persue it again, but it doesn't hurt to get an MRI just to rule it out as well. I had one done of my lower back while having the cervical problems and it didn't show too much of anything going on that would be causing my pain. When I had some physical therapy done on may back some months ago, it did seem to help, so perhaps once you start physical therapy for your neck after your surgery you could have some done for your lower back as well to see if it helps. Good luck to you and God Bless!

BobM · 12-09-2006, 10:51 AM

Hi Peg:
I've had a couple of ACDFs and am now fused C4/5/6/7. Ever since I started having the neck problems, I have experienced increasing low back pain. I think it takes a Dr to determine whether there is a neurological cause between the neck problem, and the lower back pain.

However, I offer the following observation. The 'normal' spine has several curves that help keep the head in balance with the rest of the body. As the neck starts to have problems and pain, and fusion(s) remove flexibility, I believe the lower back has to work harder to offset the pain/lack of motion in the neck. For example, to cross a street now and 'look both ways' I have to rotate my body to make up for the range of motion loss in my neck, so my lower back works harder than it used to. So I have more pain in my lower back now that is likelly related to my neck problems, but not in a neurological sense.

Be sure and discuss ALL of your symptoms with your medical people, so something doesn't get overlooked. Pain is one thing, but weakness or loss of control of bodily functions needs to be addressed promptly or the risk of permanent nerve damage increases.

Best luck
Bob

badbackpeg · 12-09-2006, 06:16 PM

Thanks so much for your responses and imput. I am glad to hear this low back pain "might" be related to my neck problems. It seemed to have started around the same time as the neck did. I guess I will see if surgery helps that too .

Bob, I can't imagine having 3 levels fused, but from reading these posts, I see that happens alot. I am afraid since this my second herniation problem, it will just keep happening, gee, I sure hope not.

My son don't want me to have this surgery, but he don't understand that this cord compression really needs to be fixed.

I'm trying not to over do the neck as you advised Pearl, but I am having a difficult time of it as my three sons and their familys are coming, so I am trying to do Christmas, I am planning on my grandauughter to help me with the tree. I have allready warned my daughter in laws, they will have to really pitch in with the cooking, and I know they will. I am really looking forward to this as 2 of them live out of state, and I rarely get to see them, I just wish I felt better.

I forgot to mention in my post this morning that I have heart palpitations, my dr's nurse didn't think my neck was causing that, but from some of the research I have done, I think it could be, any thoughts?

Thanks again,
Peg