About 10 days ago, I had an Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion to c6 and c7. It was a one level fusion, and a lot of my numbness and difficulty walking that I suffered prior to the procedure went away almost immediately. However, now I'm dealing with slight cramping and aching in my hands and feet. It's not bad, but it is irritating. Is this a common post op complaint?

I am glad your surgery seems successful. I had a lumbar fusion done, but I have had no experience with the cervical fusion. I hope there will be someone who can help with your situation.

There are many caring people here, so keep checking back. Meanwhile, I wish you comfort very soon. You are in my prayers.

Hello and welcome to NeuroTalk. Happy to see you have come to be with us. Just let us know if we can be of any help.

There are great number of fellow members here to assist as possible. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

You could check into the following Thread:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum22.html

Again welcome, looking forward to seeing you around.

Darlene

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I had my c6/c7 op in july 2007 and 3 years on i am no better' the pain in my arms hands legs and feet are excruiciating,i ahve been off work a lot since my op' and hanging on till i can get finished up on medical grounds,i wake up everyday and it feels like my skin is too tight for the rest of my body,the nerve pain that shoots up and down my arms and legs is as bad now as it was 'way back then,i do hope yours get better and you feel better,soory for being the bearer of bad news,but it might only be me who feels this way

Paul,

Hello and welcome to NeuroTalk. Happy to see you have come to be with us. Just let us know if we can be of any help.

There are great number of fellow members here to assist you. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Again welcome, looking forward to seeing you around.

Darlene

Welcome to NT

paul 1967 i just found this site and i am having just about all the same issues you seam to talk about in this post. i am wondering how you are doing now and what if anything has been done for you for these problems. i had my cervical discectomy and fusion c4/c5 & c6/c7 about 5 months ago on Nov 29,11. most of my pain was on the right side per op, neck arm, hand. when the doctor stated i needed the surgrey the plan was to also do c3/c4 but upon wakeing after surgery he told me there was to much bleeding so they did not get the third disc(thou his op report seems to say different then what he told me by a little bite, but thats a differnet story). when i woke up from the surgery i had so much pain on the left side the right side seem much better but it was a little hard to be sure due to the new and extreme pain now on the left side. the doctor told me that this pain was just due to the surgery(tapeing and glueing me to the table) and should go away soon, well it is even worst now. i am still in PT 4 days aweek for 2 to 3 hours. it seems PT only aggravates the situation, i leave PT in even more pain then when i arrive. i am now haveing pain in the neck both arms, shoulders and hands to the point where after about 45 min to an hour of standing or walking i have to lie down or sit in a seat with a high enough back to support my head and neck. and the head aches.... omg the headaches. this is a workmens comp injury and after my last visit with the DR i get the feeling he wants to be done with me, not sure if that is ture, its just a feeling i get from him.i feel so lost and frustrated. i have found on the inter net many people that have alot of the same issues but i have yet to found anyone who has had anything that has helped. i understand it has only 5 months for me but i am scared because this has only gotten worst with time(thou maybe only a little time). any suggestion from you or anyone will help. due to this being my first time on here i think i will repost most of this again to see if i can reach anyone else. sorry if there are any spelling errors it has taken a good while and toll on me just type this much. Thanks

OMG, that is awful. And speaking to the new member...I'm also brand new here....I've never experienced the numbness. I did, however, have a fusion six years ago. It was an anterior and posterior four level fusion. I won't even go into what the recovery was like. I can't say I'm worse then I was. I am better in that I don't have terrible pain if I'm not doing things. I do get relief with pain medications. I didn't have that before. The pain was constant and nothing helped. I could take handfuls of vicoden and had no relief. But I developed foot drop, then the neuropathy in my foot. It's six years now and I can barely walk a block without being in agony. I don't know what to do. I'd love to have my foot amputated. Has anyone gotten any relief? Oh, I do take Lyrica which helps but has added almost 30 lbs to my body.
I have so many questions...am so interested in hearing others situations, solutions, etc. I'm glad I found you all.

Betsy

I had a discectomy in Jan. L5 and S1, it has been 4 months since my surgery. I am having a lot of swelling still at, and around the incesion site, with aching and stiffness. I can't raise my right arm over my head and it hurts to move it, I also have pain that runs down my right leg. My doctor ordered another MRI last month and he said the only thing that he saw was scare tissue and that would not cause my pain. I don't currently take any pain meds because of the fear of becoming dependent upon them. I go back to see him on the 1st of May and I am afraid that he is going to tell me that he has done all for me that he can. I am only 42 and I work for the state, I can not work with any type of restrictions, but I also know that I cannot return to work in this much pain. I can barely do any thing at all and if I exert myself at all I become stiff and sore and in constant pain. I understand where your coming from with the pain, and not being able to function normally. I have undergone PT 4 different times with no relief and I figure if my doctor does anything he will order more PT. I wish I could tell you something that would help you but I guess I am in the same position as you, frustrated and feeling helpless.

I went through ACDF on 4/11 for 5/6, 6/7. Felt great post op. One week after surgery, sneezed, heard/felt a pop and then instant pain back in to my neck and pain and tingling back in to my left arm, down to my fingers. Feel as thought there is a knife in the middle of my left shoulder blade.