Balmy,

To be honest with you NOTHING I took touched the pain. I wrote out a long list the other day to someone asking the same thing. All I could do was to use heat and ice and/or take a strong med to help me sleep. Sometimes it was an ER trip for a shot of Toradol. Long story but I eventually found a PM that found the culprit was the C3/C4. When he did the selective nerve root injections and/or facet injections was the first time I had relief in 3 years! He did a set of two injections 3-6 months apart and then it was fusion time. But the C3/C4 issues were different than my C5/C6. The latter was herniated and sent pain into my thumbs.

Oxy and Zanaflex are pretty strong and I certainly understand why Zanaflex would knock you out. It did me too. It was only with the injections that I got true relief. But as my PM said, the pain would keep coming back. So, if your doc is leaning towards surgery I can see why. You didn't say what level but I am guessing the C5/C6 or C6/C7. Maybe even C4/C5.

For now, or until you can talk to the doc, take the meds and see if an ice pack or even heat (whatever works) will help a bit. Normally the ice pack would numb it up enough where I could fall asleep. But be careful...you don't want to keep the ice on your neck for more than twenty minutes. Let us know what the doc has to say tomorrow. It could be that he might go with something stronger or maybe even suggest an injection...just not sure.