[aussiemom]

Hi

Another newbie to the board, but not new to spine pain. My story started in about 2000, with arm pain and finger & thumb numb. In 03, I let a NS do a lami at C3-6. Stupid of me! I was in worse shape when I woke up. My arm didn't work for a year. Go to brush my teeth, the brush would go in my nose. I found an excellent ortho, who fused it all, cadaver bone, and enough titanium to wire a jet. Things were fine for about a year. Started to have pain in the scapular area. Pain doc did steroid trigger point shots once, they worked, but I have diabetes also, and that shot my glucose up. New pain doc says that I have scolliosis, kyphosis, and radicuopathy from the fusions. He did 12 Botox injections. Then I told him about the pain in the left side of my neck. He says its osteophytes. Where did they come from? No answer. This guy closed his practice, and I had to find another new PM. She did 14 Botox inj. The stuff works, and I'm 6 months out from the last, not ready for more. I hate the side effects.

So now where the osteophytes are, it feels like a lump the size of a baseball. I don't know where to start to treat this. Ideas please? I also have lumbar issues, and may eventually have that worked on. I also have torn the meniscus in both knees, making me a little wobbly when I walk, and one needs to be replaced in 3-4 years.

I use a TENS, am on Cymbalta, can't use a lot of other pain meds due to random drug tests at work. I've checked around on the SCS and would love to have one, but 2nd PM said I wasn't ready for that, and suggested radiofluoscopy instead.

I'd love any feedback on how and where to proceed with this!
Thanks