I have neck pain due to computer work. X-ray photo's shows wears on
joint between 5th/6th vertebrate. I would like to know if anybody has
undergone surgery to correct this and the success rate.

Thanks,
Vincent

"Vincent Yu" <vincent_hy_yu@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:d7bd18e5.0406141004.411fa556@posting.google.c om...
Hi Vincent, a very specific problem and kind of rare. Whiplash?
Auto accident??? in your past?? Please post your question in
news:alt.support.arthritis also to see if you can get an answer.

Harv

I have had neck and back problems for a time. Do you think yours is from
whiplash? Wear and tear due to age? It's hard for me to believe that computer
type work would cause a problem like you described. Unless you did not use
proper posture, sitting in front of a monitor for long long periods of time.

Mine is from whiplash. I also do computer work, and yeah it causes more pain.

Has your doc ran any MRI's? They are more in depth and better diagnosis and
then what treatment should be followed.

I am going the conservative way of treatment right now. Traction on the neck,
twice a week. And PT. Its not working. The next step for me is a Discogram.
Then most likely surgery. Just got a report back from my neurosurgeon. What
sort of doc are you seeing?

Before you go onto surgery, there are other steps of treatment you should
follow.

No, never had surgery on the neck before. But have read that your attitude and
following docs orders afterwards is a biggie to get better.

I forgot to add that I am also doing trigger point injections. Along with the
traction. Having one hell of a headache from traction earlier. Had a trigger
point injection last week, something weird happened. After the injection, my
right ear started hurting really bad, like a fullness in them also. Also a
buzzing with a pulsing noise. Could be something to do with the muscles
becoming inflamed? Not sure.

The neuro report that came back, had some interesting things in it. Like I have
myofascial syndrome in neck and back.. Swelling of the knee joints. The pain in
the hip is getting worse. Just hopeing that surgery on lumbar will ease the
pain in the hip knees and legs. Crossing my fingers. The neuros main concern
right now is the lumbar, but the neck is a concern too. The neck is herniated
onto the spinal, but not making a indentation of any sort. The person who read
the MRI's and did not read the MRI's right, made the neck problem seem worse
than it really is. Having more xrays done soon also, to see if there is loss of
disk space?

Have any of you heard of Anklyosing Spondylitis to understand wear in the
neck and for the replier look into what this Anklyosing does to your
periphial joints. I am finished with a decent life because of this since it
is the most severe ever seen thanx Sal





"Sunshyne" <sunshyne5108@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040614192220.15979.00001119@mb-m16.aol.com...

"Shrekk" <affordabledreams@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:ZKCzc.762859$Ig.588117@pd7tw2no...
lifestyle away. You know SAl,,, that have found that the newest anti-tnf
medicines work wonders for people with AS.
What do you do for your AS?
Harv

Yes, have heard of it. I have facet joint athropathy (sp) going on also
throughout the spine. Degenerative disk disease from L3 on down to the S1. The
neurosurgeon is talking about a spinal fusion in the lumbar.
Also some cysts, called Tarlov cysts found in the Sacral region. He is not too
concerned about that right now. Sometimes it causes pain in the legs, sometimes
not. I am 37 years old. The doc said my back resmebles a elderly person.

I been dieting to lose weight to ease the load off my back and knees. Lost
close to 60 pounds now. Since Janurary. The pain hasn't eased up any. If
anything its woresened.

Will ask the neuro about Anklyosing Spondylitis though.

I am sorry to hear your Anklyosing Spondylitis has taken the decent life away.
I feel for you.

I read about the AS. Interesting. Its what I feel most of the time. Especially
in the deep buttock region, lumbar, S region. Spasms throughout the back. Its
very painful for me to bend my head forward, it feels like the whole spine is
pulling and being stretched, causes lots of pain. The hip and knee pain did not
begin until around a year ago. It came a couple years after the diagnosis of
FM. I do have pain in the knee, below the knee especaially.

Eye problems too. More tearing, redness. Kinda like allergies.I been wearing my
sunglasses more often lately, I am having light sensitivity, like pain with too
much light. I have bad eyesight already. My left eyesight is so bad.. When I
was at the opticians office last time. He said that at all costs protect the
right eye. If something were to happen to the good eye.. I would become legally
blind.

I read there is some tests I can have done, to diagnose the AS. How were you
diagnosed? What tests?

with the process of elimination the test will be MRI and x-rays and the
blood test to detect HLA B27 ask your doctor this Anklyosing will affect
your eyes with Iritis and your hips and your knees and your shoulders and
your spine from your kneck to your bottom(butt) and your hands and your
knees and your ribs and your heart valves and etc, etc etc. I am completely
fused so make sure he looks at any narrowing of the vertibraes in the spine
and have him look closely atany fusion. I am completely fused from top to
bottom and it fused stooped so I am bent over for life no cure! I wish
someone told me these things I would have made a brace and then at least I
would have fused straigh and tall but no thanx to all the doctors who warned
me of fusion could they not have had me fuse straight? And to think I am a
parent of an autistic teen aged retarded son and I live alone. Angry yes
take care and make them check this out stand straight and do your stretches
sit with good POSTURE FOREVER!
anyways goodluck there is always morphine comfort is your right.




"Sunshyne" <sunshyne5108@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040615125654.05704.00000007@mb-m27.aol.com...

My AS is too late I am totaly 100% fused I can never turn my head left or
right and up or down is no more and I am stooped so forward that I have not
seen forward for the last two years unless I am sitting in my scooter or
wheelchair. I take a mixture of Morphine 300mg a day with 400mg Celebrex and
Lozec because of the bleeding from yrs of Nsaid use.
I also dream thats about it sorry for being honest.


"Harvey R. Stone" <hrstone@swbell..net> wrote in message
news:YxDzc.6072$DJ5.1844@newssvr24.news.prodigy.co m...

You know from the report I got from the neurosurgeon, he is concerned with the
pain in the hip/buttock. Will ask him more when I go to the next appointment.

I am taking oxycontin right now. Don't seem to be helping. I don't take any
NSAID's. I think I got the last kidney infection/problem from taking them.
Probably going back on Percocets. Maybe they work better for me because of they
help also to reduce swelling and imflammation.. The ingredients in the
percocets seem to work better.

One of my kids have ADDH. So understand the hardships you must be going
through. A little at least.

It was nice talking to you, hearing from you, hope to see more threads/posts
from you.

I can understand the anger for sure. Will take care of the posture, sit
straight. Try my best. I hope you do the same.

"Vincent Yu" <vincent_hy_yu@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:d7bd18e5.0406141004.411fa556@posting.google.c om...
Vincent, I have a herniated disk between C5-6, is this what your surgery is
for? I don't think I've heard of surgery being done for facet joint
problems.

The neurosurgeon I saw when I was having problems with my neck said that he
wouldn't want to do surgery unless my pain was very bad, or I has having
loss of function in my arm, or had other neurological signs that my spinal
cord was being impinged. I've never had that, though I have had some
whopping great headaches, and my neck often aches, but so far so good, I
haven't needed surgery.

I do find that sitting at the computer can make things worse, especially if
my monitor is positioned incorrectly, and I have to tilt my head up to look
at it. You may want to work with an ergonomics specialist to get your
workstation set up so it causes the minimum amount of strain on your neck.
You might also want to get a chair with a high back, so you can rest your
head on the back of the chair and take some of the load off your neck.

Please say more about your neck problems, and what surgery your doctor
proposes, so I can comment more specifically.

Katherine

I had C6-C7 fusion 4 years ago due to a herniated disk. The pain was severe
and I wqas losing muscle tone in my right arm. Anyhow, prior to surgery, I
did trigger point injections, traction, chiropracy, etc.. Surgery was an
easy choice at that time since I was exhausted from lack of sleep and in
pain 24/7. I am glad I went ahead with surgery at that time. Recovery was
a hastle, but not a pain. After surgery, you wake up feeling better. It is
quite spooky really. I had to wear a hard neck brace for 2 months, then it
was back to work and life as normal.

I have occasional pain, but surgery worked for me. I now have PA and take
Enbrel to control pain and symptoms. It has made my back feel better.