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Is Spinal Cord Impingement A Guarantee For Surgery?
Question: C3 & C4 are impinging on spinal chord and C1 has a great deal of arthriits. I know I need surgery. I am fuse from C4 to T1 what to you recommend?
Brief Answer:
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I am sorry about the situation you are in.
Unfortunately it is common for spinal problems to reoccur, in your case the fusion from C4 to T1 while improving symptoms related to that area reduced mobility and thus levels above like C3-C4 are under increased strain and prone to develop problems on their own.
Of course if possible medication is preferred but in your case it seems that conservative measures aren't being effective.
Perhaps in addition to what you get, medication for chronic neuropathic pain like anticonvulsants (gabapentin, pregabalin) or antidepressants (amitriptyline, duloxetine) might be tried.
A cervical collar may help for a period of time. Local injections of steroids and anesthetics can be attempted as well.
Also I assume you are aware that physical therapy is very important.
Once all that is tried and you continue to worsen, I am afraid there is not much of a choice, additional surgery will be needed. That is especially if there are signs of spinal cord compression like weakness, falls, numbness, in that case it should be intervened before there is permanent neurological deficit with remaining disability.
I remain at your disposal for further questions.
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I am sorry about the situation you are in.
Unfortunately it is common for spinal problems to reoccur, in your case the fusion from C4 to T1 while improving symptoms related to that area reduced mobility and thus levels above like C3-C4 are under increased strain and prone to develop problems on their own.
Of course if possible medication is preferred but in your case it seems that conservative measures aren't being effective.
Perhaps in addition to what you get, medication for chronic neuropathic pain like anticonvulsants (gabapentin, pregabalin) or antidepressants (amitriptyline, duloxetine) might be tried.
A cervical collar may help for a period of time. Local injections of steroids and anesthetics can be attempted as well.
Also I assume you are aware that physical therapy is very important.
Once all that is tried and you continue to worsen, I am afraid there is not much of a choice, additional surgery will be needed. That is especially if there are signs of spinal cord compression like weakness, falls, numbness, in that case it should be intervened before there is permanent neurological deficit with remaining disability.
I remain at your disposal for further questions.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I am on 75mcg/hr fenantyl patch 3day and taking other meds as well. Face, neck, head hurt and left arm has burning situation. I know surgery is going to be required. What is there out there to put a spacer and movement equipment to allow more head movement. What about arthritis at C1 is there any way to remove it.
Brief Answer:
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for your feedback. So you meant alternative types of surgery other than fusion.
In that case an alternative is replacement of the disc with an artificial disc instead of a bone graft like in fusion. This procedure has similar efficacy to fusion in terms of reducing your symptoms while allowing for a better movement range and less strain to other levels.
As for arthritis, that is a chronic condition created over years and it can't be removed. Medication like anti-inflammatory drugs can alleviate its symptoms. If it is in the setting of a connective tissue disease like rheumatoid arthritis other additional medication may be needed to slow the progression of the disease, but if in the setting of the common degenerative spine changes as I said, only physical therapy and pain medication.
Surgery is needed to stabilize the spine when there is instability which could risk spinal cord compression, but it doesn't remove arthritis.
I hope to have been of help.
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for your feedback. So you meant alternative types of surgery other than fusion.
In that case an alternative is replacement of the disc with an artificial disc instead of a bone graft like in fusion. This procedure has similar efficacy to fusion in terms of reducing your symptoms while allowing for a better movement range and less strain to other levels.
As for arthritis, that is a chronic condition created over years and it can't be removed. Medication like anti-inflammatory drugs can alleviate its symptoms. If it is in the setting of a connective tissue disease like rheumatoid arthritis other additional medication may be needed to slow the progression of the disease, but if in the setting of the common degenerative spine changes as I said, only physical therapy and pain medication.
Surgery is needed to stabilize the spine when there is instability which could risk spinal cord compression, but it doesn't remove arthritis.
I hope to have been of help.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
What type of arthritis would be intertwined in the connective tissue around C1 thru the bones. I am a chemist. I developed this myself over the years of working as a marine chemist - ships, boats, navy... confined spaces hitting and jarring my head on framing with hard had on. There has to be some type of chemical to attack, I was studying a rat study where they introduced it and counter reacted it. Direct me to the right companies that are trying to help the worker who has been punished with lifting, shipyard work etc....
Brief Answer:
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for the additional information.
I am afraid though there isn't a specific treatment for your case. What you describe is arthritis due to the strain on your spine over the years, that is the most common type of spinal degenerative disease in the population. Some degenerative changes of the spine happen in everyone of us with age changes, your activity accelerated that.
The term arthritis in itself is no specific term, it is just the greek derived medical term for inflammation of the joint, it indicates no specific component to be addressed. So, unless as I mentioned before there is some other specific connective tissue disease (like say rheumatoid arthritis - I am sure your doctors have considered that) to be addressed, the treatment remains physical therapy and pain medication. Even in rheumatoid arthritis where there are disease modifying therapies their aim is to halt the progression, they do not revert what's already happened.
I am not sure what study with rats you refer to, there is always research going on, but it doesn't always transfer into human therapy, for now there is no drug to reverse arthritis.
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for the additional information.
I am afraid though there isn't a specific treatment for your case. What you describe is arthritis due to the strain on your spine over the years, that is the most common type of spinal degenerative disease in the population. Some degenerative changes of the spine happen in everyone of us with age changes, your activity accelerated that.
The term arthritis in itself is no specific term, it is just the greek derived medical term for inflammation of the joint, it indicates no specific component to be addressed. So, unless as I mentioned before there is some other specific connective tissue disease (like say rheumatoid arthritis - I am sure your doctors have considered that) to be addressed, the treatment remains physical therapy and pain medication. Even in rheumatoid arthritis where there are disease modifying therapies their aim is to halt the progression, they do not revert what's already happened.
I am not sure what study with rats you refer to, there is always research going on, but it doesn't always transfer into human therapy, for now there is no drug to reverse arthritis.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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