HAS ANYONE HAD EXPERINECE OF CERVICAL DISC SURGERY

loopyt

Very nervous about the possibility of surgery on a herniated cervical disc and would appreciate some comments from anyone with experience of this problem/surgery. Was it successful or did it make things worse?

Pippa_Scope

I wonder if @mol could offer any insight here?

DoodleBeth

My mum had it two years ago and it helped her so much. Sorted out all her pain. She’s back playing tennis regularly (at 73) and walking miles every day  

wilko

@loopyt,
Having had spinal decompression surgery in earl 2016, numb from the waist down, successful yes the Physo and the six weekly back classes all helped my recovery but unbeknown to me I was suffering with undiagnosed MS confirmed in the autumn after having three MRI scans. Good luck you will be fine a new person.

abateman

Had my op Dec 2000 it worked for few yrs but weakens spine and puts pressure on other discs/joints in back. Go with it but be careful afterwards.

Lynne53

Had cervical surgery about five years ago and two prior lumbar surgeries. I had no choice with the cervical surgery due to the position of the disc. I get some neck pain, but the alternative could have been far worse.  I'm glad in a way that I had no choice.

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kaypink

My husband had this 2 years ago and was home 24 hrs later. Unfortunately his pain has got worse so he’s waiting for a referral for possible spinal fusion surgery.  And they say hard work never did you any harm!

Misscleo

Yes i was always sporty at school
 I could jump higjer and run for longer. Cant do any of tbat now.
But at least i had a kot if fun 

Topkitten

I had Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (microsurgery) done in 2005 to correct a rupture and had very few, if any, issues from it. Unfortunately the surgeon that performed it in Romford Hospital is no longer in the country but there are still a few in the country trained for it. Generally the procedure isn't particularly risky but any surgery can cause issues and a fused joint is never as strong as the original and will put extra pressure on the surrounding discs. In my case I had no real issues for almost 10 years but now have a second disc ruptured. Whether this has happened due to the previous surgery or because I wasn't careful enough or because there was an inherent weakness I will never know as surgeons will not discuss such topics.

There are some replacement disc techniques but these are usually reserved for the lower spine.

TK

madcat1966

Hi Loopyt, I had cervical surgery 11 years ago.  The neurosurgeon performed a procedure called “clouds procedure”...... basically they enter the neck area from the front of the neck.  I had a damaged disc which was removed and a piece of my hip bone was usd to fuse my vertebrae together.  Before the op, my right arm was 80% numb and I was told without the op. My arm would just die?!?!?! The op. Was a success and it’s only recently (after 11 years) that I am now getting numbness in my left arm and left side of face and severe headaches.  So need an MRI etc etc...... do not be scared of op., you obvs need it and if you get an excellent neurosurgeon, then you’ll be ok flower..... go into your op. With a positive attitude, it helps me and I’ve had several lumbar ops as well. GOOD LUCK xx

roypartington

Just something to add hopefully a little hope and ray of light to all those out there suffering. This is what worked for me as I was a massive keen off road runner and cyclist until severe neck issues with the nerve etc completely put a stop to everything. Now nearly 2 years later I am back running and on the bikes BUT still having to manage it. So hopefully this gives others some hope as it is awful when you are in so much pain and no end in sight and you try everything.

I saw your post about your your neck and thought I would point you to this outstanding Physio Therapist book that is the absolute cornerstone of most exercises and stretches even today for anyone with a trapped nerve / slipped disc / herniated disc / cervical stenosis pain running down the arm into the hand and fingers and thumb etc.
These are the same exercises copied and used by the majority of physios around the world today, they were devised by Robin Mackenzie in the 1950s and he also does similar books for the Back along with the neck. You will also recognise some of these stretches / exercises being used today in Pilates and yoga.

The MacKenzie Method.
http://www.mckenzieinstitute.org/patients/what-is-the-mckenzie-method/

I suffered extremely badly from Jan 2017 through to March 2018, had 2 MRIs done a year apart, saw ortho and neuro specialists at the hospital, a long with countless visits too 8 Chiros / Osteos and Physios combined.
I tried absolutely everything on the internet, including acupuncture and all kinds of supplements and so called miracle cures and massages and different contraptions. Some eased the pain for a few days/weeks/months and then it came back, sometimes even worse than before. I was getting closer to having to give in and take the injection into my spine to ease the pain as I simply could not function.

Not sure how or where I stumbled on the Mackenzie method and the little book but it has kept me pain free for going on 9 months now.
This is the actual one I used, check the reviews on amazon for yourself.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Treat-Your-Neck-Robin-McKenzie/dp/0987650416/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

It's a small book that you can easily read in an hour, then try the exercises yourself.
It does state that you should use the book in conjunction with a properly certified Physio who is trained in the Mackenzie Method who is registered on the official website which I have included above.
I thought, no the exercises are simple enough I wont bother and will do them myself, however when I went to see a physio near me trained in this method I wasn't doing one of the exercises just quite right.

There is an awful lot of junk on the web about trapped nerves, most of which I will have read and watched all the youtube videos that I wasted my time and an heck of a lot of money on trying to get rid of this trapped nerve in my neck, as it was stopping me from functioning it was that painful.
Within a few days of doing the exercises I could feel a slight difference in the pain. I thought, noooo surely not, surely Im just imagining that it is doing what it states in the book ie the pain is moving away from my arm ( in my case all the way down my right arm into my hand fuzzy fingers and thumb) and now moving back towards my neck, what they call in the book "Centralising". But it was moving back up my arm and centralising.

It is not an overnight miracle cure, but it is pretty quick I would say within a week the pain had subsided massively.
BUT BUT BUT
You have to stick with the exercises and do them religiously 6 times a day every 2 hours or so and then as it gets better ease off.
I do them religiously still now ie ( manage the issue), as soon as I get out of bed and before I go to bed, takes me 4-5 mins max each time.
Some days I forget to do them and some days I get the massive headaches associated with this, I just do the exercise associated with the headaches and that helps ease the headache, well its more like a migraine to be honest.
I also do a heck of a lot of running off road up mountains and road cycling and Mountain Biking which I was not able to do when this was an issue, and I always do the exercises before and after I run ride the bikes, treating the exercises exactly like stretching my legs out. Except stretching that all-important neck.

For instant relief I found that this helped.
It never cured the issue, but it gave me some much needed relief by just gently pushing the necks vertebrae apart just a few millimetres to stop the compression on the nerves.
I would lie there or sit watching tv for upto 30 mins with it gently easing the pain.
Again check the amazon reviews out and make up your own mind, but it certainly helped me.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TAKIT-Cervical-Traction-Device-Shoulder/dp/B07886YCHN/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1542380740&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=neck+cervical+traction+device&psc=1

I recently summited Mont Blanc in the Alps doing the full traverse ie up one side and down the other in a day.
Something this time last year, well something 9 months ago I would not have even dared to have gone on a plane, let alone summit europe's highest mountain in case my neck flared up and I was stuck abroad in agony.

I hope this post helps someone out there, as I know exactly what it is like.
Give it a try, but its something you have to keep doing and keep on top of.