Will walking help cervical disorders? - Spinal Cord Disorders Message Board

jshu43 · 04-15-2009, 04:32 PM

I have a bunch of different problems in the C4-8 level, from spondylosthesis to spondylitis, DDD, stenosis, etc. I have been told that I have bone rubbing on bone and that two discs have practically fused themselves together. I have one surgeon who after looking at all I have done to relieve neck pain for years (chiro, PT, Botox inj., numerous RF of the fact joints, lidocaine inj, pain meds, accupuncture, neck brace, etc) said that surgery was the only thing left that offered any hope. I sought a second opinion and the surgeon told me that I should walk an hour a day and that would take care of things.

Besides the fact that I have CFIDS with extreme exercise intolerance, I'm curious - will walking actually make a difference in one's cervical spine? I know how good it for one's overall health, one's heart & lungs, and even I would think one's lower back. I'm just curious exactly how walking effects your neck?

nochange · 04-16-2009, 07:58 AM

hello. walking helps none. in other words, i can tell you i walk about an hour every day and no change at all. you can try though before you go on surgery. so when it comes to neck health your doctor is wrong. it just has no effect on the neck period.

jshu43 · 04-16-2009, 08:28 AM

nochange - Thanks for the input. I have CFIDS and if I do any little exercise - especially for a few days in a row - I get a fever and am so wiped out that I can barely get out of bed to go to the bathroom. But I wanted to know if there was any point in trying to kill myself walking. I've done all the PT stuff, stretching and neck exercises - I just had a hard time figuring out how walking would do something that the PT wouldn't.

But the guy was really a jerk. He got really hostile to me - and I'm a nice person! I sincerely am trying to make a good decision. I would love to think that surgery might make a big difference in my life - but I don't want to have surgery if I'm going to be worse off. It's been a couple of months since the first surgeon said I needed surgery, but I've been going very cautiously.

When I was asking about the walking and saying that I'm not able to do much exercise at all, he just interrupted and started talking over me and getting up to leave. He said that if I kept going to doctors I would find someone who would do surgery on me. I mentioned that I already had someone to do surgery, I wanted to know what was best. He had walked out of the room by then.

I'm not sure what his problem was. I guess he obviously doesn't believe in CFIDS. Didn't like me getting a second opinion. (What was weird was that I talked with his assistant beforehand and she said that he wouldn't see me unless he felt he could help me, but based on my reports and film, he did think he could help me.)

I had talked to my internist about the surgery and she was very positive. She said that she had several patients who had the surgery and it made a big difference in their life. She said the constant severe pain that I have every day wears away at my immune system, and any relief in pain would be positive.

Now I'm in a dilemma - do I accept the disability and constant pain - or do keep on. I had made an appt with an orthopedic surgeon as everyone seemed to think that I shouldn't just go to neurosurgeon, but I canceled it after this last visit. I had read it was good to get second and even third opinions, but it seems like the doctors do resent it.

sammyo1 · 04-19-2009, 05:02 AM

jsh, I would have kept that appointment. Any doctor confident in his opinion would not resent that second opinion. Some will even encourage or recommed it. Its not their body & surgery is not something to take lightly. when the discs get that bad there really is not choice in my opinion.
You need to do whats best for you & if a second or even third opinion would help you in making the right choice then do it.
Doctors/surgeons at times seem to forget its about whats best for the patient not their egos. As far as an ortho & neuro I dont think it matters as long as he or she is a good surgeon. In fact I would get an opinion from one of each. As far as walking goes I dont see where it would help much other keeping you in better shape. I have heard people say their doctors encourage walking after surgery perhaps just to keep the circulation going which I am sure would help one heal. Good luck, Sammy

jshu43 · 04-19-2009, 05:53 AM

Sammy - Thanks for the encouragement. It was a real setback to see that last surgeon. But it's just not helpful for me to be affected by this one doctor in a negative way. Who knows what he had running through his mind - I just have to deal with it and move on. I really don't think that walking would help my neck in any other way except raising my overall health. When I have two surgeons telling me that I have bone on bone, and that my discs have practically fused themselves together - it doesn't make sense to me that walking will help that. The surgeon certainly didn't take the time to explain how it would be helpful. My questioning it really set him off.

At this point, I'm going to follow the second surgeon's advice - and that's to get this diagnostic testing with the steroid injections in the facet areas to see what areas would achieve relief. I kind of feel like Goldilocks and the Three Bears (except they're doctors!) - one's too soft, one's too hard and maybe one's just right. The first surgeon told me based on my history that their was 0% chance of any relief without surgery and that there was basically no risk that would actually happen as a result of the ACDF other than it might not work. He only mentioned doing a 2 disc fusion. The last surgeon told me to walk an hour a day and I would be fine. The second surgeon told me that I would need to have at least 3 discs done and he was concerned about adjacent discs' degeneration and losing mobility. He's the one that wants further testing. So, it seems like I should go with the one in the middle.

Both of the last two doctors sneered at the name of the first surgeon. The first surgeon is out in my area which is just outside of Houston in a city nearby. The last two surgeons are in the Houston medical center. But the first surgeon seems to be respected by those in this area who have had surgery done by him.

The orthopedic surgeon I canceled has a lot of credentials and invented several devices for fusions and specializes in botched fusions. But I hesitate to see another doctor as I don't want to get surgery if there is not a consensus.

It is a very hard decision though, as the thought of perhaps living in a lot less pain for the rest of my life sounds wonderful. To get off of all my pain meds, to be able to go somewhere and sit for any length of time without agony. To perhaps reclaim a big chunk of my life that is gone. To be able to go out and date even! Then there's also the fact that I have insurance right now and I'm not so sure I will have it in the next year or two. It's like this is my window if I am ever going to do it.

BUT then there's the thought of being worse off. Maybe I should be glad that I can walk, talk, etc. and leave it at that. The last surgeon seemed to think if I could dress myself and walk then I was doing really well. I am not able to work, (or play!) or clean my home by myself. Oh well, well being is based on my attitude and not my circumstances. (I believe that, but I do have to keep telling myself that!)

Thanks again for your encouragement. It really helps to feel I'm not alone out here.