Neck Injury / Shortness of Breath ?
 

Hello to everyone,a Newbie here !

Just wanted to ask a question,and get some feedback if possible.

Have had 3 unsuccessful cervical surgeries,due to a car crash,that happened 20 years ago.Have a great deal of stiffness.The pain,I have learned to live with over the years.

The recent problem,which is getting more frequent ,is,as the spasms get more intense in my neck & shoulders,I get shortness of breath,which is lasting longer each time.My cardio doctor has stated that my heart is in good condition,but,when in doubt,go to the ER.

Is anyone else on this site suffering from anything similar ? I'm concerned that this may be coming from my brainstem,or medulla,as I have 5 ruptured cervical disc,with spurring,and spinal cord impingement into the spinal canal.

My only option,after seeing 4 different neuro surgeons,is to fuse my neck from T1 to C2,which would leave me with almost zero range of motion,and no guarantees that I would be much better after such a surgery.

Was just wondering if anyone has experienced shortness of breath due to neck injury,or neck spasms ?

PT had not helped much.Massage helps,but is expensive,and temporary.Meds give very little relief .

Thanks, :)

Stiffman

Good Luck
 

What type of surgeries have you had? Are you taking any medications to help with the symptoms? I had a 2 level ACDF last year. It eliminated all of my headaches, most of the pain, all of the tingling. Then I Was rear ended and many of my symptoms have returned. NOt too happy having headaches again. Hopefully with time, PT I will return to my post surgery feeling.
Maybe you could have and ADR at 2 levels and fused at the others so that you maintain some ROM.Go

Have you tried to learn meditation and relaxation techniques for the pain, spasm, tension and anxiety?
Might help the breathing and pain.

Yes.

I have had "the weird breathing problem" since a car accident two years ago.

When reclined at certain angles, or laying flat, I just sort of "forget" to breathe, gets real slow and shallow. I can deliberately, thoughtfully, breathe right, but if I don't work at it, I barely breathe if in the wrong positions.

Developed thoracic outlet syndrome, mostly vascular, from scar tissue from broken collarbone and surgery. Go through boughts of muscle cramping and spasming up my neck, from the inner edge of the collarbone up to my ear. Sometimes the side of my face even goes numb. When neck muscle is acting up, I get very short of breath from doing pretty much anything but sitting still. Any movement/activity brings it on. Bending over to reach something, even only a little bit, makes it worse. Talking makes it worse. Doing anything makes it worse.

Have a host of other things that go wrong when this is acting up, too--bp, pulse rate, vision, hearing, balance...one doc says it's vertebrobasilar insufficiency--but the "weird breathing thing" has been with me since the car accident, when I was still in the hospital, even, before the TOS and other complications set in. It's just gotten worse over time.

Pulmonologist tested, says, well, everything CAN work, so he has no idea why sometimes it doesn't, and nothing to be done.

Lots of nerves and blood vessels run through your neck, front and back, to the rest of your body. Not surprising other things get messed up.