cervical lordosis reversed - Spinal Cord Disorders Message Board

french44 · 08-11-2009, 11:26 PM

cervical lordosis reversed

feelbad · 08-12-2009, 09:35 AM

was this found upon just plain x ray as a finding or with an actual MRI? if it was an MRI, was there any other hard findings listed in that summary at the very end of that report? if all there was is 'just" the reversal of lordosis, it really is not in and of itself anything major or awful. it just means that the neck had lost that normal gradual lordodic curve that should just be there. it tends to stack the vertebare up upon themselves vs having them with less compression when that curve is there kind of thing? the absolute worst here is that it can just create a bit higher risk of slippage of the discs and vertebrae and that can be forwards or backwards, or side to side. its just something to be aware of and maybe have monitored with x ray from time to time, espescially if you start noticing any symptoms of possible herniation or ongoing neck pain.

many many people actually have this wrong with their c spines, me included. it can be something you were actually born with or caused by early or later trauma too. marcia

french44 · 08-12-2009, 11:05 AM

Why does it hurt soooo bad? It is dibilitating, so much so that I am thinking about applying for disability because I have other symptoms and yes it was only an 8 slide x-ray but it is explicit in these findings:
Cervical lordosis is reversed. Multilevel disc space narrowing, endplate sclerosis and osteophytosis, multilevel facet arthrosis, neuroforamina are encroached upon, multilevel cervical spondylosis".
I don't have insurance and doc gave me Tramodol for pain 3xday but I only take it at night. But a new development has just occurred: for the last three days I have a "tingling needles" sensation from the neck to shoulder in same area. I am scared.

Thank you sooo muh for responding to my note during such a freightful time. I don't know what to do. If I get stressed or sit at the computer for a while it hurts. Please respond.

Toonces1 · 08-12-2009, 11:53 AM

It sounds like you may have other issues causing your pain and tingling that an X-ray will not show. You really need an MRI. Is there any way that you can get one of these? This is the only thing that will show what is happening with the actual discs and nerves (which are most commonly the cause of pain). I'm no expert, but I think it's unlikely that the reverse lordosis is actually the cause of your pain. I have this too, but this in itself was not causing my problems. Like feelbad said, a lot of people have reverse lordosis. However, it is usually disc problems and nerve impingement that cause most of our pain in this area.

It must be a scary position to be in without health insurance. Can you apply for any public health plan, like Medicaid?

jennybyc · 08-12-2009, 12:25 PM

There are 2 ways in which you get a reversal of the normal cervical lordosis. One is by sudden accident...that's what I had when I broke my neck. The other is a very slow reversal that accompanies osteoarthritis...I'm guessing that is what you have. That is not as dangerous as the rapid reversal. Your spinal cord has time to adapt. But you are going to need an MRI and possibly surgery to fuse your neck back into the correct shape. Mine is held in place with 2 titanium rods and lots of screws.

French....you are in Houston and have lots of great medical schools in your area. They are all connected with hospitals and should have low cost clinics for people without insurance...or even a sliding fee scale so it may be no cost. You need to see someone in neurosurgery who can correct your neck. You are risking paralysis at this point of you are starting to get tingling. Any weakness or clumsiness? Loss of function(weakness or clumsiness) and loss of feeling(tingling or numbness)means you are at risk for further damage and possible permanent damage. Time to act.

So figure out which hospital is affiliated with what medical school and start calling around to find out who has a neurosurgery clinic(Orthopedic surgeons do work on backs but a neck that bad should have a neurosurgeon in my estimation). Then make an appointment or have your doc get you in to one. You might need a referral. You can get help, you just need to do some homework and searching.

good luck....we're here for you......Jenny