I do have TOS in addition to my spine issue which was at C5/C6, and after my ACDF, my TOS got worse and everything tightened up, and doing myofascial release helped me loosen that up. I know how to take my hands and work the knots out. It is not a sharp pain but a steady dull ache like you would get from over exercising. Disclaimer. I had no hardware and had to be really careful not to do anything until I fused, but it was at the 4 month mark that I was beginning to fuse and was cleared to begin PT and myofascial release again. Welcome to the board. C3-C4: Minimal right uncovertebral hypertrophy. Haglund performed a minimally invasive posterior cervical fusion with the DTRAX cervical cage system (Providence Medical Technology, Pleasanton, CA). In this case, the patient returned home the following day and was able to return to the golf course within a month. This procedure (along with all other spine surgery procedures) requires the surgeon to navigate delicately around, and between nerves and muscles. The therapist I am working with has done ASTYM on the shoulder and arm. Neck Pain 3 Months After Acdf Surgery Recovery Time Following ACDF Many times the symptoms are temporary, for example, many patients have nerve problems after surgery that only last for a So You Can Turn Them Off And Liberate Yourself From Back And Shoulder Pain, A New Non-Drug Treatment For Cervical Dystonia. Almost 5 months post op acdf surgery I highly recommend Dr. Corenman and the Steadman Clinic. Recovery time after ACDF surgery generally lasts about four to six weeks. Re: ACDF surgery 6 months after! Blood Clots. The second week after surgery I started to get headaches, not extremely intense, not a migraine, just a pressure headache. The patient's pain did not improve with 6 months of conservative treatment that included physical therapy and epidural injections. Pain Disc dessication with loss of height T8-T9 with mild posterior endplate degeneration and small central disc protrusion without mass effect. My testing and consults were completed in a few days, and I had an answer and an offer of help. Recovery after ACDF Surgery Web3 Months Post ACDF JohnyH. It was as close to a miracle I've ever experienced. We'll see how Monday goes. I do have extra tightness on one side of my neck and shoulder that pulls into my rib cage. Hope you are doing ok. @lilypaws ACDF is anterior (frontal approach) cervical discectomy (disc removal) and fusion. Hope you are", "@jenniferhunter thanks for your insight. A week later, Tom arrived at Dr. Kachmann's office. Any surgery will come with a set of risks and potential complications to look out for. WebIn the end, after recovering from anterior cervical fusion surgery, most patients report significant improvements and a decrease in pain. Some common risks of surgery include: Stroke. WebAlthough relatively rare, post-operative nerve injuries may occur after cervical spine procedures. @amywood20 I'm sorry you are having issues. I have not been seeing my PT because of COVID-19, but I continue on my own as best I can. The last couple of weeks, by neck has started hurting pretty bad. It also is normal to have some swallowing difficulty. After Acdf Surgery Case Description:A 45-year-old male initially underwent a C3-4 and C5-6 anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF).At age 49, 4 years later, he presented with worsening dysphagia accompanied by neck and right upper extremity pain. Infection. Late infection after an interval of time after ACDF may present with various symptoms and signs including neck pain, dysphagia, and fever accompanied with laboratory abnormalities such as elevated white blood cell count, ESR, and CRP [ 7, 17 ]. Headaches after ACDF surgery @lindyflock Thank you for asking. It is nerve damage. To me, it looks like one of the screws is pushing into an area that maybe it shouldn't. Surgeon said no but agreed to a CT scan, which I had done on Tuesday. I received excellent compassionate care and have great results. Take care Jenniferhunter. The stenosis in Tom's cervical spine was serious, causing spinal compression at four levels. What to Expect from ACDF Surgery Thank you, I am pursuing the CT scan. I also work and stretch pec minor because that is a compression point for TOS, and have found some tools I can use to press and stretch it as I roll onto it with my body weight. She is now working the pec area and the arm. What to Expect from ACDF Surgery I will say that the arm/shoulder issues I have been having over the past month and a half or so are different than the ones I had pre-op. Pain after If you have already had facet injections in the area of your thoracic pain, you can generally rule them out as a pain generator. After the procedure, the surgical area will remain inflamed as the body heals itself. Is It Just Shoulder Pain Or A Heart Attack? WebThe ACDF helps to relieve symptoms such as neck pain, numbness and tingling in the arms, shoulders, or hand, shooting pain in the arms, weakness of hands, or lower extremities. Iron Neck for chronic pain caused by foraminal stenosis? This one was landed me on my behind. In the old days, which was all of 18 months ago, to help a patient like this, wed have to go in from the front, take the whole plate off from the anterior fusion that wasnt successful, and redo that level or approach posteriorly and split all the muscles in the neck and perform a posterior cervical decompression and fusion with instrumentation, Haglund says. My neck is bad too, but so far PT had helped. ACDF Surgery Posts: 9,238. good luck to all and hope we all feel better soon. The hospital team will monitor several metrics to determine the best time to discharge you. There is very mild exaggeration of thoracic kyphosis. Accessibility WebIn the end, after recovering from anterior cervical fusion surgery, most patients report significant improvements and a decrease in pain. infection after I am 16 months post surgery now and life is awful. Complications with anesthesia. subacromial subdeltoid bursitis). Much thanks. Keep in mind your body has to heal on the inside & calm down from the trauma of Clipboard, Search History, and several other advanced features are temporarily unavailable. Cervical Fusion Surgery Medications. These usually get better over the next few weeks. 3. That is roughly where my pain/stiffness is located (between shoulder blades/thoracic), but Im wondering if the pain is stemming from directly below the fusion site and if that maps to my shoulder blades/rhomboid area. I did all the conservative treatment (shots, PT, traction) and finally after 2 years gave in and had the ACDF. I did the bouncing back and forth between these two specialists prior to surgery and don't want to do it again. Pain Rotator cuff tear (supraspinatus mainly) was the predominant finding in MRI in those who didnt improve after ACDF (n=18, 25.7%, p-value: 0.001). WebPost-laminectomy pain syndrome is a significant cause of pain and disability. If you had a bone graft taken from your pelvis, you may experience pain, soreness, and stiffness at the incision site. The hospital team will monitor several metrics to determine the best time to discharge you. Pain Welcome to the board. My therapist told me it is related to my surgery (the doctor didnt do anything wrong). During the surgery, the spine surgeon accesses the cervical vertebrae from the front of the neck. Careers. During the surgery, the spine surgeon accesses the cervical vertebrae from the front of the neck. My surgery was performed 3 Times. Peolsson A, Peterson G, Hermansen A, Ludvigsson ML, Dedering , Lfgren H. BMJ Open. The most common post-operative neural disorder is C5 nerve palsy. This inflammation can impact the nerves and cause some numbness. and transmitted securely. Typically this is nothing to be concerned about. The most common symptoms of nerve damage after surgery are usually numbness, tingling, burning, muscle weakness or atrophy. This surgery involves the removal of a protruding disc from the spine for relief of pressure on the spinal nerves, followed by reconstruction. over a year ago, car195579751 Cervical Spondylosis (Arthritis Of The Neck): Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, Complications Of Anterior Cervical Discectomy And Fusion Surgery, What to Expect After Surgery to the Cervical Spine, Possible Complaints After Neck Fusion Surgery. The stenosis in Tom's cervical spine was serious, causing spinal compression at four levels. So many things hurt now when I move the arm that didn't before. One of the biggest issues we see after surgery is scarring around the nerves (1). the movement of the shoulder is being affected because of the weakness). Operative outcomes for cervical myelopathy and radiculopathy. I see him on Monday to go over the images. over a year ago, missbrat Both of them, along with two physical therapists, said my issues were cervical spine which is why I had surgery. The most common symptoms of nerve damage after surgery are usually numbness, tingling, burning, muscle weakness or atrophy. Should You Push That Shoulder As Far As It Will Go? The second week after surgery I started to get headaches, not extremely intense, not a migraine, just a pressure headache. It is very common to have some pain after the surgery, but when pain persists for months there are several possibilities. I hope we can all figure it out soon and get on with our lives. 2021 Oct;37(10):1096-1108. doi: 10.1080/09593985.2019.1683921. an ACDF Surgery Scar: Advice From a Spine Surgeon Choosing a fusion let me avoid hardware and I agreed to stay in a neck brace until fused which was at 3 to 4 months. What Can, Besides A Physical Injury, Cause Collarbone And Shoulder Pain? My pain was immediately gone, and my arm feels great. infection after Join Date: Sep 2004. It may take weeks or months to fully recover. Persistent Shoulder Pain After Anterior Cervical Discectomy I WORK 40+ HRS A WEEK, AM VERY ACTIVE IN CHURCH ACTIVITIES, KEEP UP WITH 2 TEENAGE BOYS AND BASEBALL SCHEDULES, HAVE HORSES AND ENJOY DOING OUTDOOR THINGS, BUT I AM IN SEVERE PAIN 24/7 AND SEE NO END IN SIGHT. I did a lot of myofascial release before my surgery because I was doing this to treat the TOS, and that helped the neurosurgeon during spine surgery because my muscle was easier to retract. I understand your concern with that image. I do know that I have a bulging lumbar disc that cracks on rotation, and I have less issues with that because of core strength. However, nearly all cases resolve spontaneously within 2 years, thus identifying patients who require more detailed or invasive work-up is a challenging task for clinicians. HE SAID THAT SHOULD BE A SMOOTH CURVATURE, NOT A HUMP, BUT CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THAT AND NOT EVEN SURE THAT IS CAUSING PROBLEM. months A number of potential diagnoses are possible. Cervical Radiculopathy WebThe ACDF helps to relieve symptoms such as neck pain, numbness and tingling in the arms, shoulders, or hand, shooting pain in the arms, weakness of hands, or lower extremities. The screw can be inserted incorrectly and advanced into a nerve or facet joint causing pain and weakness. This study investigates if 6-month outcome with a broad assessment after ACDF with a cervical intervertebral fusion cage can be a guide for the 3-years outcome. In reply to @jenniferhunter. After ACDF, youll want to return to your favorite activities as soon as possible, and while the recovery time might be lengthy, a recent study showed that the procedure reduced arm pain in 93-100% and neck pain in 73-87% of standard patients. The expected length of a hospital stay after an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion usually overnight for one or two level procedures. I do a lot of trail riding just at a walk, and I have to compensate for every step the horse takes with my back, and I do that with good posture and balance. Do not use nicotine for at least three months. The patient's pain did not improve with 6 months of conservative treatment that included physical therapy and epidural injections. 2012;2012:919153. doi: 10.1155/2012/919153. Then a cervical epidural (no relief). You have to think about safety with everything you do with a horse and make sure that the horse trusts and respects you. An ACDF is a type of spine surgery used to treat neck issues by removing. 6 months after Persistent Shoulder Pain After Anterior Cervical Discectomy I don't know if this is a big deal or not and if it could be the source of my continued arm/shoulder issues. It was from C4-C6 with two spacers and a plate with six screws. Doing two or more movements together puts the back at high risk for injury so be careful! You must be logged in to reply to this topic. 1. I feel great. I have to also say that the physical therapy and myofascial release I did before spine surgery prepared me well for a great recovery, and I had an excellent surgeon. After that, a decision is made based on if they can offer medical help, and if that is yes, they will contact you about an appointment. If you have pain early on, that can actually just be part of the operation. over a year ago. Recovery Time Following ACDF THE ONLY THING MRI SHOWS IS A BOOMERANG SHAPE IN MY NECK WHERE THE TITANIUM PLATE IS. After ACDF Surgery I had ACDF on C5 C6 about three weeks ago. If you have pain early on, that can actually just be part of the operation. After ACDF, youll want to return to your favorite activities as soon as possible, and while the recovery time might be lengthy, a recent study showed that the procedure reduced arm pain in 93-100% and neck pain in 73-87% of standard patients. Unauthorized use of these marks is strictly prohibited. Any use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Conditions of Use linked below. !he read all of my issue and details and his replies really helped me in decidingi am now confident about my decision and i now totally understand the procedure thanks to the in-depth information providedthank you ever so much ! ACDF A prospective study. I had run into that myself before I had surgery when the various surgeons who evaluated me didn't understand my symptoms. Typically it takes at least 12 months or longer to completely heal from this surgery. Keep in mind your body has to heal on the inside & calm down from the trauma of 3 Months Post ACDF I think and hope this helps. THE LORD IS GIVING ME THE ONLY STRENGHTH I HAVE. Its a slow healing process, but in the end, the operation may end up being successful. WebDysphagia after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is common, with a prevalence ranging between 28% and 57% of cases. MY POST OP XRAYS AND MRI LOOK FINE ACCORDING TO MY NEURO AND PAIN DR. After surgical intervention (ACDF), 48 patients (68.6%) noted the cessation of shoulder symptoms (pain, weakness, and numbness) during their last visit. As others have mentions, drs seemed stumped by the pain issue. There is no knowledge if short-term outcome in patients after anterior cervical decompression and fusion (ACDF) can be used to identify which patients have remaining deficit in long term. Bookshelf It hasn't helped. There has been interval anterior cervical discectomy and fusion C4-C6 and C5-C6 with apparent osseous integration of the intervening bone graft material. Interested in more discussions like this? Six month after surgery to this day I have pain across my upper back. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. My range of motion is normal except that I cannot touch my chin to my chest when I tuck my head, but it is darn close. Headaches after ACDF surgery THE PAIN RETURNED ABOUT 6 WKS AFTER SURGERY. My low back is fine, no problems there! My pain was immediately gone, and my arm feels great. Ice, electrical stimulation, massage, and other treatments may be used to make the patient more comfortable. Three or four level fusion may require additional days. To minimize discomfort, avoid sitting or lying down for long periods; change position or take a short walk every 20 minutes or so. Epub 2005 Dec 12. PAIN 6 MONTHS POST OP CERVICAL DISECTOMY WebHeadaches after ACDF surgery. @jenniferhunter do you have any thoughts on what I posted? The average recovery time is 4 to 6 weeks. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-027387. WebPain in the back of the neck and between the shoulder blades is common after ACDF surgery. You could have thoracic outlet syndrome in addition to the other issues you mentioned and it causes arm and hand pain, and TOS is more common with spine injury patients. The second was c4-7. Typically this is nothing to be concerned about. The risk factors for C5 nerve palsy are male gender, OPLL, and posterior cervical approaches.