Cervical Spondylosis :: Facet Injections & Dorsal Root Ganglion Blocks
Oct 24, 2007
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 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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I am due to have cortisone injections on 7th November but am feeling a bit anxious about it.
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I'm 48 suffered with cervical spondylosis for around 6 years, in the last two years it's got so painful. I have tried all meds, last year I had an op foraminotomy where they drilled the left side spurs C4 to C7. But the last year has been a nightmare the pain is worse. I have now had more MRI & CT scans more meds and having two injections next week. I asked the long term affect of my neck I was told I have a neck of a 70 year old. What dose this actually mean? Wheelchair what?? I am also on the list for a anterior cervical discectomy & fusion.
I have a fall time desk job which doesn't help at all but have a mortgage... holiday is taken as sick days.
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I am recovering from Anterior Cervical Discectomy, which became necessary to avoid drastic further deterioration.
I would like to tell you about my experience and what helped me. My problem started quite unexpectedly with a persistent back ache at work (I am an office worker). Within days it was so bad that I was vomiting with pain and had to stop working (I was commuting to London). I was on morphine within three weeks, but it did not help either. I won't list here all the various painkillers I was prescribed, which helped to certain extent, but the pain was so bad that I was suicidal. The doctors communicated with me hardly at all except writing another painkiller prescription. I felt totally abandoned by them. I tried osteopathy, ordinary physiotherapy and Bowen's therapy. Bowens worked the best but nothing would give more than a few hours relief from the extreme pain. My husband then hit on the Tens machine and that was the only thing that really helped. I would recommend it without hesitation. I dropped the morphine, which was a bit of nightmare for me anyway, and managed to live with the Tens machine.
Unfortunately my problem rapidly progressed to me losing strength from my arm and from my fingers and a neurologist recommended the dissection and fusion. It is not an easy fix, but to me it saved my life. I went back to work four months after the operation, seven months after first feeling the pain. I could not say I'm as good as new, but the pain has gone. My neck is stiff, gets tired very easily and a bit uncomfortable. I cannot lift, push or pull anything heavy. But I'm here, enjoying my family and grandchildren. I couldn't ask for more. I'm 63 and now feeling my age, that's all.
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I have had pain in the outside of my right foot since August 2013 when I went over on that foot playing squash. Growing pain levels followed by an injection failed to sort the problem out. Two consultants later x-rays and scans showed the 5th metatarsal head bone was being eaten away at a dramatic rate. An operation and six weeks of 4000 mg antibiotics later there was still no idea what was causing the problem. Some more of the metatarsal head was removed during the operation and sent for analysis. not cancerous, not an infection, a final diagnosis is a ruptured ganglion cyst, but everything I have read about these says a) they occur in the hands, arms or sometimes calves and b) the treatment is a good hard whack with a heavy book. This releases the fluid which sounds to be harmless, but in my case it sounds as though the fluid is being blamed for eating the bone away - can this be possible?
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I was diagnosed with cervical spondylitis when I was 27 ( had a severe fall when I was 16 yrs old...fell 2 stories), am 48 now and moved to Wales almost 2 yrs ago from South Africa and since being here, my pain has increased in intensity. Used to get steroid injections and am aware that I won't get that here in the U.K. I now suffer extreme nausea due to the pain and can only dry retch, as the valve below the oesophagus was tightened yrs ago and now prevents me from throwing up. I would appreciate if others with this condition could tell me what the maximum dosage of Ibuprofen one can take. Taking the normal dosage (2) does not alleviate the searing pain or spasms.
I am also very confused. After x-rays, all dr,s have said cervical spondylitis and not cervical spondylosis. Been told that I don't have arthritis and yet this is not ankylosing spondylitis, which 1 dr said it was..(he never saw the x-rays)...really confused even after numerous x-rays and dr,s. I am almost on the verge of giving up hope of getting effective painkillers from dr,s here. Do the exercises, use heated neck bags and nothing much helps, especially when I get a flare up.
Need to know if increased dosage of Ibuprofen would help.
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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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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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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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I have a L5/S1 disc bulge which is pinching the sciatic nerve (have been suffering for 18 mths)Shown on MRI Last month I was given a caudal epidural injection, I experienced increased pain and brain fog for a couple of weeks but my pain is still persisting. Yesterday I seen another specialist but he says I have sacroiliac pain instead because I had normal ankle reflex. Having read up about it I'm not sure as I don't get hip/groin pain and my pain radiates below the knee into my feet and toes. He suggests I have sacroiliac and facet injections. I don't know what to do for best, I would love nothing more than to be pain free but don't want to put myself through anymore unnecessary extra pain.
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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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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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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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