Cervical Spondylosis :: Facet Joint Injections - Chronic Neck Pain
Feb 27, 2009
I have CS in my neck and am in constant chronic (pain for the past three years). I am sick of being in pain.
My first visit to the NHS pain clinic was interesting, as the consultant informed me that I need to have Facet Joint Injections into the top part of my neck, which he plans to do in April !
I asked the consultant if there are any potential dangers from this procedure and he informed me that me that nothing can go wrong !
I got home ran a web search on Facet Joint Injections and am really horrified to read that there are rare - but very serious potential dangers from this procedure ... I feel that the NHS consultant has not explained the potential dangers to me.
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About 3 years ago I saw my GP as my neck started to crackle and my head was veering to the right but I was told that there was nothing to worry about. It got progressively worse and 10 months ago I had a normal style X-ray which disclosed I had spondylosis. Nothing was done except that I had several physio and acupuncture sessions but these did not help the pain. I then tried reiki, head massage and osteopathy and had several sessions of each. Nothing helped. I was then referred to a pain control specialist (PCS) who did 2 procedures:
Facet injections & Dorsal root ganglion blocks
in my head and neck followed by physiotherapy. None of this helped in spite of being assured by the PCS that most people do benefit from these procedures. The pains by now had become quite excruciating and increased day by day and the quality of my life deteriorated even more. I had already been taking Dihydrocodeine, Amitriptyline and Paracetamol combined for my diabetic neuropathy but none of these had any effect on my neck and head pains. The PCS then put me on Fentanyl patches and increased the strength up to 25 mph. With these I found sometimes the pain would increase not decrease. He then prescribed Oxycontin. It did not agree with me and I had unpleasant side effects so I could not continue with this. The PCS then sent me for an MRI and this showed moderate degenerative changes. I also had a CT scan which showed slight calcification which he said was in line with other people. I am now waiting to see a neurosurgeon. I spend most of the time from when I wake up lying down with a hot bag around my neck and an ice pack on my head as any continuous movement increases the pain. When I saw all these therapists the only exercise suggested was to move my head from left to right. My shoulders have really stiffened up now and I feel that I do need some other exercise for this. Having read Catherine's letter to Darren I saw that she was given a tape for relaxation which I would greatly appreciate a copy of if Catherine reads this. I would be more than prepared to reimburse for the cost time and effort of doing this for me. I do not want to leave any stone unturned as I do not know how long it will be before I see the neurosurgeon or even if anything hopeful comes out of it. If I have any good results from seeing him I will post these developments and any advice on this site in the hope that it may help other sufferers.
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I had five facet joint injections in my neck yesterday and I am in a lot of pain.
I have a lot of stiffness and can not move my head that well without being in pain. Anyone else experience this?
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I dont know i have cervical spondylosis , but MRI said i have a cervical spasm < now even after eating food my heart rate increase some times and there are weird feeling all day long in the chest ,pain in arm .. i feel tingling numbness, in legs ,arms , shouledrs some time. disbalance when i just stand up
Mty Doctors are sending me to neurologist,Cardio , Rheumatologist,Internal medicine .
nothing solved . Heart is ok , ECG is ok, x-ray of heart is ok.Blood test was ok ...
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I am 42, was diagnosed with CS at 40. I take painkillers far to regularly due to neck pain and periods of constant headaches. Present one for 4 days! I sleep in a neck collar every night and have medication to help me get off to sleep. I have also been prescribed diazepam which i use when my neck movement is to restricted for me to carry out everyday duties. Luckily this is very rare. My left arm is affected the worse, not helped by nerve damage in my left hand from carpal tunnel syndrome. I don't use my left arm unless i have no option as it normally ends up with things dropped on floor due to weakness. If i rest left arm on table or passenger arm rest in car it will go numb. My consultant was excellent and extremely sympathetic when diagnosed. I have now been discharged with my pills and collar! And they say life begins at 40!
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I've been getting neck pain for some time and over the past 6 months or so it has become considerably worse. I get the usual pain at the back of the head, moving to the front. The change has been noticeable with nausea, dizziness and bed-ridden for usually 2 - 3 days at a time. Pain killers (over the shelf are not doing much for me) the sickness means that fluids and solids do not stay in for long and sleeping is out of the window.
Off tomorrow for a MRI scan hoping that this is going to shed some light on the problem and hopefully a diagnosis that makes sense.
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I have suffered with cervical spondylosis since i was 35 i am now 47 and in terrible pain i have physio naproxen co dydramol 500/30 nothing works i have a tens machine. Can not swim now due to severe pain,i get a constant feeling like a electric shock..or something cutting down my spine i have a feeling of unbalanced sometimes when i stand up my eyes are sensitive to the light,and my neck constantly feel to heavy for my shoulders.i get numbness tingling in hands feet hip sometimes and burning like you would not believe...Does anybody else get any of these symptoms ?plus terrible pain in neck and base of skull would love to hear from somebody else who suffers this terrible condition
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I am new to this site and new to the spondylosis. I am 36yrs and I have suffered with my neck since I was 25yrs. I have had physio no needle acupuncture and I am under pain management. Until recently I have never had any diagnosis until a few months ago.
Recently my symptoms have got worse most worrying in the dizziness and loss of balance I am suffering from and pains in my head and the neck pain has got a whole lot worse also.
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I was a raving hypochondriac, have suffered cs for 5 years,had mr scans,ct scans,myelograms and lumbar punctures,see my specialist regularly and just given different medication,vi suffer neck pain, headaches,numbness in arms and hands,but also have severe numbness in legs and feet,my hands and feet are permanently icy while the rest of my body burns up,feel permanently dizzy and nauseous,i have vision problems and incontinence problems,for past few months i have got steadily worse and not able to walk more than few yards,and cant get outdoors without aid of wheelchair,as pain in my joints and muscles is so bad,the nerves that are trapped have moved down my spine which is causing the leg pain,i have seen 3 specialists and a professor of m.s,i have meltdowns every so often as i always have been so active and cs can just bring you to your knees,i find that the specialists i see seem to think i am neurotic,i asked him to have my pain for a week and then come back and tell me how he feels...i feel people just don't understand how debilitating cs is and because outwardly you look ok and you do your hair and put some slap on your face,but walk a mile in my shoes when at 3am im walking the floor counting the hours till can have another pain killer,my last visit to my specialist i was given morphine patches,but suffering from ibs and gall stones was warned by my doctor that they would have adverse effects and they were so addictive.
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Since 3 yo I have had pain in my back and up until I was 12 they said that it was growing pains! they then said I had wear and tear at l3/4 and suffered everyday since but been a pain I know that's there but didn't stop me I just grit my teeth and get on! Every few years I have a flare up of it and knocks me for a few weeks then back to usual bearable pains!
April 2013 woken to numbness /tingling legs and feet 3 days later horrendous back pain and it hasn't left since! Been 15 month of living hell! I've tried pt many many times over the years and always made my pains worse! I've eventually seen PM who said they will do facet joint injections in July however I am due to fly on holiday 5wks later! I can't imagine coping on holiday being the way I am atm however if I get worse then I won't be able to go!
Anybody had facet joint injections? Any good for you ? All experience welcome please
I was taken 300mg X2 daily pregabalin (lyrica). 250mg x 3 naproxen daily and 30mg oxycodone 2x daily they have cramped my meds to now 50mg x2 lyrica, 60mg x1 duloxetine and 30 mg X2 oxycodone! All the meds do is take the edge of the pain but if having a flare up then nothing helps!
I have to use crutches constantly just can't walk without at least one because it causes to much pain in my lumber,hips, groin and my legs sometimes give way!
The things I have been diagnosed with are, ddd, spondylosis, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia. (They said I have loss if disc height and osteophytes too)
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Has anyone breastfeeding had facet joint injection i've been told by 1 surgeon i can feed after 2 days another said 2 weeks and another not to feed again anyone any ideas which is right.
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I've been suffering with lower back pain (left side) and an MRI has shown a slight bulge on one disc, an impacted disc below it and degenerative disc disease in the facet joints. None of this is serious and the pain is like toothache when it flares up. I've been referred for physio, third session later, and am due to have facet joint injections, under X-ray guidance, on Monday. Has anybody had these done? Are they worth it or should I put them off and give the physio a chance first?
I'm not afraid of needles, but had a steroid injection in my wrist some time ago and reacted to the fluid which felt like it was scalding from the inside out right up my arm, this lasted about 10mins or so and then wore off. So I am nervous about this procedure.
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I am due to have cortisone injections on 7th November but am feeling a bit anxious about it.
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I wanted to know if anyone had facet joint spine injections or Epidural injections for pain management, whilst taking Remicade?
I would really like to hear from you if it went fine and if you had any negative reactions, such as an infection, or any other adverse reaction after the injections?
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I had a series of 8 facet joint injections into lumbar and sacral joints two days ago. This was supposed to be a test to see if the doc was in the correct area. So, no steroids yet, just anesthesia. However, after 2 days, my pain has not returned. Don't get me wrong, I am NOT complaining, just puzzled. How could this be? Has anyone had this test done and how long did it take the pain to return?
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Hello, I read about root nerve block and the like, what I was offered is an epidural steroid injection, is that the same?? And X-ray led or without X-ray (?)The doctor said he would give me a steroid injection around my tailbone as it is safer (further away from spinal cord) and it is without X-ray.
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Has anyone had facet joint injections c2, c3, or know how many years is safe to keeping burning the nerves? Or weak muscle and occipital pain to where to skull is out of place and you have to snap it back into place with swelling and pain. Or know anything about cervicalgia? Or steroids in the facet joints in the occipital, c1 joints? When does steroids injection start to soften the bones?
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Anyone who can advise me on how this procedure is done? I am having it done next tuesday and from what i can tell from the letter i have received, is that i will only be having a local anesthetic. I am worried i will feel the injections ( I have read that some discomfort can be felt) and i would rather have a general anesthetic. Has anybody had injections in their spine under general anesthetic? Many thanks in advance for your help
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Just had my procedure and in recovery now, waiting to be discharged!
I have severe prolapse of L4/L5 with bilateral impingement of nerve roots. This results in severe back pain and constant sciatica. Worse on my right side.
Whole process took less than half an hour and I feel just fine after. Was offered sedative, but refused as I'm personally cool with stuff like this and very relaxed/able to keep still.
Very little pain during the actual procedure. In fact the worst bit was the initial injection of local anaesthetic!
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Can anyone please tell me how long it takes for these blocks to take effect,had them done a week ago and still in bad pain,MRI report said severe deep space narrowing at L4-5,have had 3 microdiscectomy and 12 epidurals over the past 9 years.
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Had 6 facet injections today now i can't bend down at all am i so much pain also worried about painkillers
Tried to speak to the doctor about it but he seemed like he was in a rush and didn't have time for my questions.
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