i am having pain in my neck thru my right shoulder down my arm and tingling in little and ring finger. and around my right elbow and the bone is very painful. all this 4 months after cervical fusion

I had a 3 level acdf done 12-04 and in 2005 had to have a c5-6 laminectomy. Go figure. It was the same area that I just had the fusion. Still have back of the neck pain while on the compt. Good luck, Tgent

thanks tommyd. i thinks this surgery is good and helps. but at the same time there seems to other problems that comes on. i am getting frustrated with drs. now my pcp is sending me to yet another dr on monday. i think i am just going to go back towork and live with the pain as much as possible. the vicodin helps some and i hope that at least this dr can give some meds to help when i move.

lolo,

I had my C5/6/7 ACDF back in June '06 and I too am still experiencing the same pre-op pains. I'm all too familiar with the pains you are having and was sent for another EMG/NCS and it showed bi-lateral carpal tunnel and bilateral ulnar nerve problems. The symptoms you are describing sound like they are being caused by your ulnar nerve which would go along with the pain in the ring and pinky fingers. You may want to request an EMG/NCS to see if the nerves are being compressed somewhere and causing these pains.

My EMG/NCS showed global sensory slowing in the upper extremities and motor conduction latency greater than 10ms in the ulnar nerve. I was sent to a hand/upper extremity surgeon for a consult by my OS, who agreed that I have moderate carpal tunnel bilaterally, but he felt the ulnar nerve problems were neuropathic and possibly coming from my neck and shoulder areas so he sent me to see a neurologist. The neurologist did a brief exam and then ordered a blood test. The blood test came back normal and the neuro called and said he had nothing else to offer me & didn't know what to tell me. So now I've got to go back to my spinal OS and see what the next step is. Not having answers is so frustrating, but hang in there and demand answers. We need to be pro-active in our health care since we are the ones living with this pain daily.

Best wishes,

Kim

thanks kim, you are so right. it is very frustrating to be in so much pain and the drs act as if we are the problem. i go to ortho surgeon tomorrow and see what he can do. this wil be the second one since the surgery. any kind of movement or lifting causes me extreme pain i will let you know what the dr says.

lolo,

Well?...What did the doctor say?

I'm thinking that they are going to say it has something to do with the ulnar nerve since you are having pain by the elbow, or the C8/T1 perhaps???

Best wishes,

Kim

Thanks for the reply snoozie,

This is a work comp case so the want to put me on a conveyor belt and ship me through. Thanks for the info regarding the rotator. I know they want me back to work but I want me some what whole again. Had no collar after ACDF
not when I woke up or when I went home. But the woman in the room next to me had the same thing done and she had one on. Same Doc too. Maybe work comp didn't want to pay for it..lol

hi slipnslide.. the pain is in my right arm just above and below the elbow also on the funny bone area in the back of my elbow. my gp took me off naproxen because i was swelling. so now the pain is from my neck down to my ring and little finger. and to top it off, tests showed i may have lung disease and early stages of enphyzema.

Hi Guys!
I had ACDF on C5/6 and 6/7 on Feb 14th of this year. I too have had post-op pain, and much of it was in my left elbow..ulnar nerve stuff. I had massive bone spurs, and 2 completely blown discs. My neuro surgeon came in to my room the morning after surgery, and literally tore the collar off my neck...He said " You don't need this crap..all it will do is make you uncomfortable." I have had no PT, and was back to work in 3 weeks. I have had issues since...minor muscle spasms and the elbow pain, but in recent weeks it has gone away. I just go to work and do it..and it just seems to get better every week. I am a printer and lift a lot in weird ways everyday...I feel better now than I have in years.
Thanks!
Dave

I had an ACDF in June of 2007 and a right ulnar nerve decompression in July of 2009. The following problems still exist:

Severe neck pain, stiffness, very limited mobility, cracking and grinding when my neck is moved.
Horrid headaches on a weekly basis.
Right elbow is still very sore from surgery...I am 10 months post-op.
Both hands (4th and 5th digits) are numb and have a tingling sensation.
My right shoulder is very sore since the June 2007 surgery.
Both wrists are always painful and I cannot pick up any items that have little bit of weight to them.
Cannot sleep much and have difficulty doing any everyday chores. Workman's Compensation insurance company has declined any additional medical evaluations/treatments since my second surgery of July 2009. In a severe amount of pain and need medical assistance ASAP!
Dr. stated that I need an MRI for my right shoulder due to injury yet the requests are constantly denied. Have an entrapped ulnar nerve in my left elbow (right elbow surgery for ulnar nerve performed July 2009) and the insurance company does not want to hear about it. Cannot take much more of this constant pain! I am 44 years old and a father of 6 year old twin boys. My poor wife has been doing everything as I complain about my pain. It is not a good feeling to not be able to do the simplest of chores. Feel as if I have been shuffled about and forgotten. I am really nervous about my future....lost a great job due to my 1st injury during my 25 years of being employed. So frustrated....