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Member
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Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Paradise
Posts: 855
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Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Paradise
Posts: 855
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NCAirPatrol
Hello,
I am new to this site, a bit scared, but overall holding up pretty well. Date of sports injury January 2013, so I'm coming up 1.5 years. I am taking (only) 2 Aleve at bedtime, so I hope this is bodes well for now/long-term, as well. Oh yeah, 54yo male, hwp good, athletic, etc.
MRI (Duke University) states the following: A 3mm Anterolisthesis of C7 on T1. Mild degenerative endplate changes C4-C5, C5-C6, C6-C7. Small anterior osteophytes at C3-C7. Vertebral heights are maintained. No abnormal cord signal or cord deformity. Cervical spinal canal is small in caliber. Visualized posterior fossa is unremarkable. C8 radiculopathy w/ pinky/ring finger pain/numbness; a hint of weakness.
Question(s): 1. Do I/can I realistically expect this to improve and/or self-correct, 2. Continue 2 Aleve daily (and be so thankful it continues to help), 3. Surgery (or never) or ??, 4. Walking only or anything I can do to prevent/avoid further damage?
Thanks for any help/suggestions, words of warning, etc!
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I'll address just the C7-T1 anterolisthesis. 3mm is just under the AMA Guidelines for Category IV Impairment. 3.5mm would get you there. Clinically, it matters if your 3mm anterolisthesis is static as interpreted from a lateral plain-film x-ray or if your 3mm is dynamic, as interpreted from either flexion/extension x-rays or dynamic fluoroscopy, but not for the rating itself. MRI is frowned upon for millimetric displacement considerations as the cortex of the bone is not well visualized making it inaccurate. Much can be stated about this but in short, if you have lower neck pain, especially with motion, it might be related. Also, if you have pain, numbness or tingling into your inner forearm and little finger or weakness/wasting of the intrinsic hand muscles or with power grasping, C8 nerve root issue might be considered. If oral anti-inflammatory meds (including Medrol) aren't working for you and you have already gone acupuncture, PT and chiro, then time to think about more invasive things like facet blocks, medial branch blocks, interlaminar ESI and transforaminal ESI. Talk to your doc!
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