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Thread: Cervical disc prolapse

  1. #11
    Master Wheeze's Avatar
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    Flopsy, this is tough stuff for a patient. Read this: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2200758/. In a nutshell, nearly everyone is helped by cervical discectomy immediately and 2/3 will still be doing well years later. If it were me, I think I would have have the op.
    A question for your physio...do they work in a multidisciplinary team with a neurosurgeon? This is essential for best advice.
    Do not hang too much importance on the MRI scan. It cannot reliably tell you if a nerve is being acutely pinched. You need nerve conduction studies to prove that. What the scan will tell you is if the rate of deterioration is stable or accelerating or if your spinal cord is at risk.

    Good luck, stay calm and ask informed questions. The op itself sounds frightening but its quite straightforward...in expert hands.
    Simon Blease
    Monmouth

  2. #12
    Senior Member Flopsy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mike T View Post
    When I was working I saw quite a few people who needed or had had back or neck surgery - these people had either spinal cord or cauda equina compression (the multiple nerve roots at the bottom end of the cord), so they had an even more serious condition than just individual nerve root compression; they basically had no choice but to have surgery - none had a "bad" outcome, though some were disappointed that their symptoms did not improve after surgery, or improve as much as they would have liked. The realistic outcome from surgery is that it stops people getting worse - some get improvement, some lucky ones dramatic improvement, but many remain about the same - of course some unlucky ones have a bad outcome, but I never saw this.
    Multiple anecdotes is not the same as data of course.
    Good luck.
    Oddly I replied to this but the post disappeared. Take two....

    Yes I know I'm lucky not to have damage to the spinal cord. Although I don't feel lucky (plenty of people fall off bikes and aren't injured at all) the surgeon, physio and GP have made it quite clear that I am lucky. However, quality of life is also important and nerve compression may not be life threatening or cause paralysis but it is debilitating and has quite an affect on life. The flip side being I'd rather have the symptoms that I have now than paralysis. I am very aware that the surgery is quite often not a cure and in fact can make it worse. Thats' the reason for my confusion about what's the best thing to do.

  3. #13
    Senior Member Flopsy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wheeze View Post
    Flopsy, this is tough stuff for a patient. Read this: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2200758/. In a nutshell, nearly everyone is helped by cervical discectomy immediately and 2/3 will still be doing well years later. If it were me, I think I would have have the op.
    A question for your physio...do they work in a multidisciplinary team with a neurosurgeon? This is essential for best advice.
    Do not hang too much importance on the MRI scan. It cannot reliably tell you if a nerve is being acutely pinched. You need nerve conduction studies to prove that. What the scan will tell you is if the rate of deterioration is stable or accelerating or if your spinal cord is at risk.

    Good luck, stay calm and ask informed questions. The op itself sounds frightening but its quite straightforward...in expert hands.
    Not had time to read it all but from a glance interesting that studies suggest a short term improvement but long term deterioration; although who knows whether they would have had that or worse even without surgery.

    A good multi-disciplinary team would be great. They have an MSK Unit Harrogate. It was some witch in that department who refused to let me have an MRI or refer me to a surgeon 3 years ago after my car crash (which is when the neurosurgeon suspects the original prolapse occured). She just said you've got a neck injury, it's permanent, live with it. Nice! Now that funding has changed my GP was able to order the MRI this time. Then because there is no neurosurgery at Harrogate I was referred to the LGI. I've paid for physio myself as the waiting list was too long at Harrogate hospital. It has cost me a fortune. But she has been a great physio, sorting out a lot of the problems I've had over the last 3 years that should have been sorted out in the MSK Unit. Sadly the physio, having seen her last night, now also feels that I have come to the end of the road with physio. I know how to keep my neck mobile and exercises to strengthen the neck muscles and the correct posture to maintain. But she can't stop these symptoms deteriorating. She now agrees that it is likely to be further deterioration of the disc and if so that surgery may be my best option to prevent it getting worse, as long as I am aware that it's unlikely to leave me symptom free and I'll still need to do all the exercises long term etc. Bummer.

    Going to see if I can pay for the MRI and speed up the process. If I do have to have surgery I'd rather have it sooner than later so that I don't have to miss next years summer season, which would be the third summer on the trot.

  4. #14
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    If you can afford it I'd go private,you'd be operated on in two weeks,if you ain't had your MRI scan yet,then you'll prob be waiting another 3 months before you get your op.i don't think you'd be running next year unless it's something steady.

  5. #15
    Senior Member Flopsy's Avatar
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    Ha ha. I wish I could afford the operation privately. Just the MRI cost is more than I really want to spend. The surgeon said 2 months for an MRI and back in clinic in 3 months. I assume 3 months surgical waiting list. That means 6 months wait. So hoping to halve that by paying for MRI. Not sure I can though so left a message for the surgeon.

  6. #16
    Member Harrier's Avatar
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    Hi everyone. Reading this sitting in a hospital room waiting for my L5 disc work today.... Under the knife soon for partial discectomy , canal widening and titanium spacers to decompress the canal space further . All good ��. Should be running again in 3-6 months apparently.

    I agree with the general advice. If it is too painful and deteriorating then surgery is the only option. Do the research and get the right guy in the right hospital ... For the best outcomes and minimised infection risk etc. if you can live with it then hold off as physio, core strengthening and injections can make all the difference.

    Personally i can't wait for the referred leg pain to be over, never mind the back pain! Good luck everyone.

  7. #17
    Master
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    Good luck!

  8. #18
    Senior Member Flopsy's Avatar
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    Hope it went well today.

  9. #19
    Member Harrier's Avatar
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    Thanks folks for the BW.

    Just really coming out of the dope and feel like I have been kicked in the back by a 600 lb gorilla wearing hobnail boots. All went well I believe- no running for 3 months apparently to let everything settle and knit in, and then easy running only for a further 3 months. Should make the LAMM then ! All being well.

    I haven't spoken in depth to the surgeon yet but I know he carved out some of the spin around the disc and nerve space to give both some more room, as well as taking some of the disc out. He did something with some spinal ligament too but I wasn't really on my game at that point last night well enough to remember what he said! I was too busy checking my toes worked etc.

    I'll try to find out exactly what got done so anyone else with this problem can see the full roadmap and have a little more information pre-op than I could find.

  10. #20
    Master Wheeze's Avatar
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    Harrier, that will be your flaval ligament. This is often a significant contributor to a stenosis because it buckles when your spine shortens with age. It creases up like excess material and further narrows your canal.
    Simon Blease
    Monmouth

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