Quote:
Originally Posted by annhere
I had severe stiff necks before my neck surgery...I had a level 2 in with a compression on my spine....Now I have a nice metal plate in my neck, that bugs me when I turn towards the left...(YUK) Sometimes I wonder what came first? TOS or the neck...they were both caused from a repetitive desk job for 16 years with awful deadlines...perhaps it would best to get another MRI in case it's now compressing on your cord causing the stiffness.....Right before I had my surger, my neck would get so stiff, it reminded me of what whiplash would be.....Just a thought
|
I think the biggest question sometimes for us, is there something wrong with our discs / Cspine, that could be fixed by surgery, OR, is it ALL TOS?
I have some minimal degenerative changes in my Cspine, which I am told also is "normal" for my age. (I've read tons of Cspine MRI reports, and yes, everyone has little things here or there.)
However, just because a noted change is small, it does not absolutely negate that the small problem, such as a 2 mm disc bulge, is not impinging upon a nerve and causing a notable problem.
Then, it is a matter of evaluating the EMG findings - is there slowing at the C-8 which tends to support TOS, and is there relief from a scalene block - again, more TOS evidence, etc.
I find the entire process to be utterly frustrating and complex.
But I have severely stiff necks with pain along the back few inches of my head, see my other thread.