Does anyone hear clicking noises after acdf? I asked about this at my last appt but all my dr said was it shouldn't happen after I fuse. It doesn't hurt but it scares me that the ROI-C artificial disc he used may be pulling loose. ?? This device doesn't have screws as it is supposed to lock in place....

Sorry for all the post over the past few days but this site has helped me more than words could ever say!

i still here clicking noises almost 2 1/2 yrs out. I had mri last fall says im fused --mention to dr he said I heard people sau that before --that was his only response.

So you are fused, great! How are you otherwise? Are you out of pain? If so, how long did it take? How was your recovery?

Recovery wasnt so bad --my prob were more a year after fusion --start getting bicep pain first --then pain really bad in right shoulder --so i went into a panic thought something wrong again ---then finally got another mri --which shows fused but c5 level forminal canal nerve is opened but small so there nerve gets pinched the fix was revision surgery but ---but 2 surgeons didint feel it warrants the risk since there was no risk of being parlyzed. That when i became very in tune to posture and sleeping habbits etc....basically have to be very cautious not to create flare ups.

Had you had a MRI prior to having the pain n your bicep? I had a MRI on my neck 3 weeks post op because I was in so much pain but my dr said it looked fine. I have a "patch" on the left side of my neck, not on the side where the incision is, that is swollen. It doesn't hurt to touch, but if you push on it, it moves like fluid or an air pocket. I showed it to my dr but he didn't really say much. If you had an MRI after surgery, before you got pain in your biceps, was the problem not detected? I was having more pain n my shoulder, now it's my bicep, and goes to my elbow and wrist, all on left side....but my right wrist has started hurting too. Thank you for replying!

No its was the only mri I had was prior to surgery and only 1 after --u know how that goes instead of surgeon went to g.p when bicep pain started did xray then pain in shoulder on and off since --sometimes it last 3 or 4 months. Ok one day i was feeling good i decided to wash my jeep ---next day pain was so bad took 4 months to resolve. The bicep I remember when that started to I thought i slept wrong on the right side that took months wo go aways as well. Most of my pain started after I was fused ...crazy that why i think inflamation is the culpret because only predisone resolved it but that has its own problems as well....as u prob know.

The one thing I wanted to add is nerves do crazy thing even surgeons dont understand ---and i small area of inflamation --had spread to even a larger area ---for me that why pain meds never worked I think i responded more to anti inflam meds --but your not fused and cant risk anti inflam meds....ice is good and posture start keeing a journal what might cause flare up you will shocked and it ---long discovery for me.

I meant to ask were u in a collar ?

I was in a collar for 3 weeks then told I didn't have to wear it, until I went back at 10 weeks, still was in a ton of pain so he told me to start wearing it again. My arm is hurting so bad again. I talked to a PT friend of mine a few minutes ago and she really thinks its a pinched nerve. I'm so scared. I can barely move it without extreme pain. I just put a call into my dr. Not sure what he'll do put I need relieve, soon.

Im so sorry your in pain!!!! I know its a nightmare to be in pain . If your anything like me it causes anxiety to because we been thru so much already ---we tend to get the feeling when is the the other shoe going to fall and we tense up. Try to relax your mind--trust me I learned this the hard way because the stress makes the pain worse. I know it may sound lame. Since u just had mri I think at this point he just may offer to changes meds or up dosage. I really hate your suffering so much!!!