I'm a very active 43 yr. old with a fusion that is just over a year old. I typically walk or do the eliptical 1-3 times per week and then do neck strenghening exercises or core exercises 3-5 times per week. I still have some trouble with muscle tightness in my neck and upper shoulders and even spasms on the sides of my head. I also cannot bend my right ear down to my right shoulder without pain in the muscle that runs down the right side of my neck (and the incision was on the left). I take multivitamins and supplements that include lots of calcium and magnesium. No Rx at all (had lots of trouble with those). I do feel better after doing some stretching and yoga (even though I was told not to do yoga by NS - I keep my neck neutral); however, it tightens right back up shortly thereafter. I work at a computer all day (but take stretching breaks) and commute 30 minutes to and from work. I do find that driving is pretty uncomfortable at times. It wasn't this bad 9 mo. after the surgery but seems to be getting a little worse since then. I have some episodes of pain in the back my arms (not that often) and after a massage one day, had tingling down one arm that went away after 2 days. I've recently been using tennis balls as trigger point therapy on my head and neck and it also helps temporarily. Wondering if there is a real issue with my plate or fusion overall that I should have looked at, or if it's just my lifestyle that's contributing to my discomfort. Has anyone else experienced muscle issues this far out from their surgery?