MRI of March 29, 2019 reports i have multi level stenosis with a spinal canal AP diameter of 8mm; 7mm and 6mm (c 6/7; c 5/6 and c 4/5 respectively); completely effaced ventral subarachnoid space with lateral recesses completely obscured along with prominent posterior disc/osteophyte comlexes (due to DDD). There appears to be fairly severe bilateral foraminal stenosis.
IMPRESSION: Prominent posterior disc/osteophyte complexes from c4 - c7 as described. The changes are most severe at c4 - 5 with prominent central canal stenosis measuring 6mm in AP dimension and severe bilateral foraminal stenosis as well.
My GP has ordered an EMG for end of this month to check on nerve function.
I am an otherwise healthy 47 yr old man in top physical condition but the chronic pain, limited range of motion; clicking sounds in my neck are becoming - well, a pain in the neck ( see what i did there?☺)
Anyone out there with similar findings? Prognosis?
Welcome to the forum. You may be functioning well, for which I am glad, but most of us here share the experience of pain. Lots of it. Someone will likely recommend an operation in your future. What ever is said, know that results are a bit... unpredictable. Most people still have pain post-op but you may feel it in many other places. That is not actually funny, but unfortunately true. This forum and other sources on the internet are excellent for amplifying the information you have about your condition, as well as the fellowship and encouragement we get from communicating with other spinal cord injured people.
You are between a rock and the hard place and I'm very sorry you had to seek us out.
I came upon a thread recently where a member reported that disc replacement surgery is not an option for those of us who are in the advanced stages of DDD.
Does anybody have further insight into this statement? I will continue to research the particulars as best i can on my end. Thanks in advance to anyone who can provide clarification on this topic.
EMG results are in (significant nerve damage) - now waiting for a call from neurosugeon for a consultation as to when and what type of surgery they can perform.
Although my symptoms are not yet totally debilitating, Doctors say that due to the lack of space in the spinal canal, if i happen to be in a minor traffic accident, it is highly likely that it would leave me paralyzed, likely paraplegic (bonus - i could still play guitar in my chair)
Anyhoo here's hoping for minimally invasive surgery when the time comes, fingers crossed.
I salute all who have gone through all of this before me, it is a very daunting obstacle to overcome.
EMG results are in (significant nerve damage) - now waiting for a call from neurosugeon for a consultation as to when and what type of surgery they can perform.
Although my symptoms are not yet totally debilitating, Doctors say that due to the lack of space in the spinal canal, if i happen to be in a minor traffic accident, it is highly likely that it would leave me paralyzed, likely paraplegic (bonus - i could still play guitar in my chair)
Anyhoo here's hoping for minimally invasive surgery when the time comes, fingers crossed.
I salute all who have gone through all of this before me, it is a very daunting obstacle to overcome.
Keep us informed. While a minor accident might leave you a para, surgery could do the same. I hate it when our options are no better than "pick your poison."
I step in the water, but the water has moved on...
UPDATE...just received a call from the Spine Clinic to book an appointment with the surgeons for my surgical consultation.
Will meet with them Sept 4th to get the "good" (?) news. Which entails a 6hr round trip...silver lining? ROAD TRIP to visit two of my older sisters..and a day off work (yaaay!)
Will keep y'all posted...thanks for being here as i dont discuss my condition with many ppl in my day-to-day life. Only a couple of my friends even know what's going on (Suffer in silence has always been my mantra - it builds character lol)
Although my symptoms are not yet totally debilitating, Doctors say that due to the lack of space in the spinal canal, if i happen to be in a minor traffic accident, it is highly likely that it would leave me paralyzed, likely paraplegic (bonus - i could still play guitar in my chair)
But I just thought I’d mention, steelguy71, that for paras with clonus, such as myself, playing guitar in a chair,...with clonus (kicking) going on, gives a whole ‘nother rhythm section to whatever you’re trying to play. (sad face)
Keep us with you on your journey. Wishing you the best.
UPDATE...just received a call from the Spine Clinic to book an appointment with the surgeons for my surgical consultation.
Will meet with them Sept 4th to get the "good" (?) news. Which entails a 6hr round trip...silver lining? ROAD TRIP to visit two of my older sisters..and a day off work (yaaay!)
Will keep y'all posted...thanks for being here as i dont discuss my condition with many ppl in my day-to-day life. Only a couple of my friends even know what's going on (Suffer in silence has always been my mantra - it builds character lol)
Good luck steelguy71, will you be wearing a hard collar during your road trip? The reason I'm asking is because if you are involved in a car accident, you don't want to be left a quadriplegic... When the doctors told you that you might be left a para because of your stenosis, I think they meant a quadriplegic because your damage is all higher than becoming a para
I had a C5-C7 stenosis diagnosis years before my SCI that resulted in C5 tetraplegia / ASIA-D / Brown Sequard. The stenosis was due to being hit by a drunk driver while a pedestrian. I had a laminectomy, and knew immediately upon waking from surgery that there was great improvement. Prior to the laminectomy, it felt like I had a tennis ball stuck under my right arm pit and radiating pain down both arms (more prominent on the right). These symptoms were absent after the laminectomy.
Side note: Because of the extra space protecting the nerves at C5-C7, the SCI that resulted in C5 tetraplegia wasn't as bad as it would have been without the laminectomy. In fact, the SCI specialist said that I would not have survived had the extra space not been there. And this is the only instance that I can think of where being hit by a drunk driver may have done some good...
The laminectomy was well worth the risk. I have a high pain tolerance, but was at a point that I didn't really care if I woke from the surgery. Post surgery, no pain, was able to use off the shelf Tylonol (and no opioids), and went back to work after 4-days. So glad that I had the surgery...
Good luck with the surgery. I hope your outcome is as positive as mine was...
Post by steelguy71 on Sept 21, 2019 5:30:14 GMT -8
ray...glad your situation worked out well for you as far as symptoms/pain etc. I can only hope my surgery will improve my condition, or at least keep the symptoms from becoming worse.
Spine Clinic offering a hybrid surgery in that it will be partial spinal fusion with the bulging disc being replaced with a synthetic disc (c5 c6), so here is hoping the new disc helps with mobility as compared to having 3 vertebrae fused
I was told i need to have the surgery done ASAP, but being elective surgery at this point, i have opted to tough it out for another 6 months seeing that i am managing my symptoms pretty well. Also gives me time to get prepared and quit my cigarette smoking (so that the bone grafts will heal properly). Should my condition deteriorate before 6 months, i am to get to the emergency room and they will get me to the Spine Clinic operating room.
Thanks to all in the community for listening, and for your advice, anecdotes, etc. It helps to know there is life after spine surgery.
steelguy71, I take kratom for pain. But I hear that it’s also great for people who are quitting smoking. It’s legal in most US states and in most countries. I don’t know where you “are”.
steelguy71, I had the synthetic disc replacement surgery on L5-S1 ten years ago. Felt instant relief. Doctor gave me a bottle of Vicodin for the pain, post op. There were 100 in that bottle and I only took two.
Recently I have noticed what I can only describe as concentric radiating tingling chills that feel as though they are radiating from the spine outward down my body. Feels like it starts around the c6-c7 and radiates down to the bottom of the ribcage before dissipating.
These symptoms seem to occur when I need to relieve myself. It is not what some of us call the "pee shivers" where the bladder is being re filled by kidneys as one empties their bladder, so I am curious as to what may be occurring...
Has anyone experienced these, or have any insight as to what may be occurring?