[demodebi]

Hope this works ...it should direct you to my past threads...hopefully...
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...light=demodebi


long story short....4 cervical fusions with hardware at one of them....then dislocated shoulder (right) 1 1/2 yr ago....mri showed torn rotator cuff...doc went in and nope nothing but arthritis and bone spurs....

still had pain off and on but the past 2 months I have NOT been able to leave my recliner.....I have to have pressure on that shoulder blade....pain doc gave me steriod pack and it seemed to help for a day or so....then did an injection no help....my family doc thought it was once again a torn rotator cuff but went to my ortho doc and he said no it's from my neck but he doesn't think there is anything anyone can do....

I also have tingling in my right arm and last 2 fingers....

I am trying to have another mri done it's been over a year then off to find a neuro to help me...mine has retired...

anyway...any idea on what it can be?...I am in so much pain...I take 30 mg mscontin am and pm and then 10/324 norco 4x a day and it doesn't even last 2 hours right now...even then I still can't get up and not have pressure on the shoulder blade.....

I don't really know what I'm asking but anything anyone can tell me I would appreciate it...

is there anymore they can do with all my fusions?....my son (pharmacist) wants me off of the norco and to up the mscontin and switch between er and ir...

thanks for listening at least..debi

[pete81241]

regarding meds...
do you have a pain mgt doc? there are other drugs for nerve pain he might recommend such as cymbalta or lyrica, or neurontin...
have you tried ice on neck and shoulder?
have you tried physical therapy?
i would get a neuro or ortho surgeon involved first and let him decide on best test. he is more knowledgeable than a gp to pick proper test...
there are diagnostic procedures to try to pinpoint problem in the fusion. they inject painkiller and if it helps the pain they know where the problem is.....pal pete

[demodebi]

Originally Posted by pete81241

regarding meds...
do you have a pain mgt doc? there are other drugs for nerve pain he might recommend such as cymbalta or lyrica, or neurontin...
have you tried ice on neck and shoulder?
have you tried physical therapy?
i would get a neuro or ortho surgeon involved first and let him decide on best test. he is more knowledgeable than a gp to pick proper test...
there are diagnostic procedures to try to pinpoint problem in the fusion. they inject painkiller and if it helps the pain they know where the problem is.....pal pete

Hi, Yes I have a pain mgt doctor....I'm hoping to get to see him this week.....I've tried ice/heat both heat helps the most....
I requested pt thru my pain doctor's nurse (she's also going to set up the mri).....
the one neuro I'm thinking of seeing thru recommendations won't even see you until you have a recent mri ..

are you talking about a discogram?...I had one years ago..the doc then told me no one should have to live with a neck like mine...

thank you so much for replying...I'm truly at the end of my ropes here....the pain is unbearable even with the meds.....

[pete81241]

hi again...no i didnt mean a discogram, what i meant was to inject a pain killer into areas the surgeon thought would be a possible source of the pain. he's looking at the scans and he may have a suspicion that a certain area of the spine is causing pain. some people even get pain from certain hardware. when the painkiller is directed at parts of the hardware and the patient gets relieve the surgeon then knows the source of the pain. he might want to remove that hardware...if he suspects a disc yes he might want to do a discogram.
i am a big fan of exercise. now i know you are in pain. after my neck surgery which by the way was massive i still experienced pain. one day i was cleaning a greasy pan with steel wool and noticed i felt a little better. so i started rubbing a cloth on a table top. i tried all kinds of directions with the cloth. i found certain directions and forces that didnt hurt. eventually i strengthened my shoulders and neck by just rubbing and rubbing. i am now pain free. if i dont do exercise the pain can come back. exercise in my opinion is the number one pain killer.....best of luck......pal pete

[demodebi]

I'm also a big fan of exercise...until the last car accident (12/15/11) and also breaking my ankle (same one) twice in the past 2 years....just worn down right now....lol

I was always a big one on walking ... and hope I can still do those things down the road.....my doctors were always amazed at how active I was with all of my issues....

This here just really has gotten to me...as you can see I've been dealing with the shoulder pain for a long time now.....again thank you...

[pete81241]

deb thats wonderful you used to enjoy exercise. you are like me.
the right type of exercise can put you in a better mood.
you may never return to the level you once were but no matter what your disability you can find something to give you activity.
i'm stuck most of the day on the floor bcause of severe back and leg pain but i'm still stretching a good 2-3 hours a day to strengthen muscles and help me relax.stretching might be good for your ankle. walking in watr might be good for your ankle and feet. i went through aqua PT where they had me walking forward and backwards and to the side. when half the body is in the water you only weigh half your weight so you can do so much more and get a good workout.....pal pete