chevmal283

I had one level L5s1 Lam '98 then double fusion L5s1/L4-5 '99. I had all ready had neck pain before any surgery. One night ended up in the ER due to moving my neck and hearing the sound on bone on bone and sudden onset of massive head pain that threw me to floor and kept me there for a bit. Stood up still with pain, body all contorted and rushed to ER. Said things look fine in cervical. Well, surgeon disagreed and I had double fusion neck surgery in 2000. One month all most to the day, I ended up in ER with massive head and neck pain. That would be my life for the next 3 years. In and out. And even when I didn't go, I was at home still wishing I was there. I have had head CTs, MRI after MRI for neck and back. No one has an answer other than a chiro whom thinks he can do careful adjustments to get the tension out of back of neck. I still sufferin' and still don't know what to do.

To answer your question, I have asked the same thing to so many different people, have sought info on Net...and I have heard folk say that they ended up with massive (migraine, though that is not what I have---no problem with light or sound) head pain time to time and docs don't know what to tell them.
Is the head pain only in the head? In front or back or both. Forehead (front that would be)..temples...eyes? I have always been told that the fusions in neck look solid. I was told the same thing about my back though. Then in '01 while having hardware taken out of lumbar, doc discovered needed refusing and I ended up having another long back surgery that I wasn't expecting.

I know this. When one has the cervical fusion, the neck muscles are stretch (ya gain an 1/2 or more in height so they just don't unstretch) and because they don't like the metal (themperture of metal might be different than temp...so they spasm..even though you probably don't feel the spasms)...and one starts to lose the natural curve of their spine and that cause issues.

What does one do? I hope for you that it is fused. I wish there was a way to truely finding out without cutting. Because surgery ain't kind too many. I say this not fused, then neck bone and muscles reacting to that I have been told.

This is the only time you have had the head pain I take it. If ya can get botox injection in your muscles in front of you neck-ones that run up yer neck toward and near ear and jaw joint and as well in back of neck and forehead that might possibly help. It helps me, just not completely, or should I say, it doesn't enable to go out and "do" without consequence. Whatever is wrong in neck, it doesn't like to be moved.

If ya can't get botox, I hear Rolfing helps...painful treatment(s) that is temporary that is suppose to lead to less pain caused by surgeries. It's deep massage, but deeper than a "deep massage" at a massage place.

When you say explode, that is exactly the term I use to express the pain I experience in my neck. Many times it lead to vomitting. Your head and stomach connected I'm told so that is what happens.

Before any surgery, find a headache clinic or a neurologist (not neurosurgeon) who specializes in head/neck pain. I just started seeing one. Had botox that is all so far. Yet, have had botox treatments for two plus years straight, then didn't for almost two years...had them last week..first two days lots of pain in face and around jaw do to muscles relaxing and reacting, but then settles in and they aren't so tight.