Who has had this neck injury?

renevets
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Cincinnati, OH US
Edited Date/Time 5/7/2012 7:46pm
I have a nerve pinch at around the C6, C7 with pain and numbness down my left arm. I have some arthritis and degeneration of the disk because I'm 50+. I haven't been able to ride for 4 months now and am looking at surgery and all kinds of other treatment to get me back to some kind of riding.

I figured this is where I am most likely to find someone with experience with pretty much any kind of skeletal injury so, hopefully, you guys can weight in with opinions on the best way to deal with this thing.
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FreshTopEnd
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Sacramento, CA US
5/7/2012 3:22pm
I have a related issue with C5-6, but its more impingement at the foramina, the nerve outlets from the spinal cord, than a disc issue. I know they can enlarge the foramine to relieve the impingement, but I understand it's not a necessarily a permanent fix.

From what I understand, though, it's important to have something done or the nerve pathway symptoms similar to what your experiencing can lead to permanent nerve damage. I'm sorry, but I don't know how this relates to a disc issues if that's the source of your problem.
mjskier
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CO US
5/7/2012 3:39pm
I have one coworker with severe degenerative disk disease who had a procedure done where they take bone marrow from the hip and inject it in the disk. His issue is not just one disk. His entire spine is kind of failing. He seems to be doing somewhat better. He doesn't have numbness like he used to have. But time will tell.

In somewhat related issue, a couple stopped by my wife's store. They were back from Spain where he had some sort of disk replacement procedure done. Apparently, this is the same deal as with ankle replacement surgery. Some devices shown to have better long term results haven't been approved in the US (yet?) So people go overseas on their dime to get the procedure done.
muGz.147
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5/7/2012 3:46pm
I've had it! I'm 35 and I had this at the end of 2009...beginning of 2010. I woke up one day and I couldn't feel my left arm at all (ironically, the day after competing in a golf tourney). After a few weeks of chiro visits, sometimes 2 a day...I went in and saw my doctor. He said I would probably need surgery eventually, but suggested I just take some time off and try to heal it on my own. He said I was young enough that I could probably get it back inline (for now) without surgery. I did. I took a complete year off from moto, golf, and anything else that would possibly aggravate it. I did a lot of home remedy stuff like inversion table sessions, neck exercises off the edge of my bed, etc. I went through a rough patch with atrophy in my left arm and I was mentally beat there for awhile. I eventually pulled out of it to about 85% (which is where I feel like I am today). I'm riding again with no issues and I ditched the golf clubs for golf discs and became one of the better FROLFers in my area...lol. It still bugs me occasionally but for the most part I've beaten it...for now.
knobby101
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St George, UT US
5/7/2012 3:49pm


I had my C6 an C7 fused 8 weeks ago.. very little pain in facvt I got up the next morning an demanded to be released so i could go watch my kid race.. it was a cake.. no biggie.. check Youtube for videos of people that have had the op... the only thing that was bothersome was the throat being a tad sore for about a nobth after...I went riding last monday with the boys coming from the SLC to the LV SX.. no problems!

The Shop

muGz.147
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5/7/2012 3:51pm
Knobby...they went through the front of your neck and "pushed" your throat to the side to do this op....yes?
knobby101
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St George, UT US
5/7/2012 3:52pm
By the way.. im 54 and ride allot.. I'm very happy i had it done!
knobby101
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St George, UT US
5/7/2012 3:54pm
muGz.147 wrote:
Knobby...they went through the front of your neck and "pushed" your throat to the side to do this op....yes?
yes... theres a little scare... pain was not a factor.. Dont worry, like I said check youtube.. that made it allot easier to face!
muGz.147
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5/7/2012 3:56pm
muGz.147 wrote:
Knobby...they went through the front of your neck and "pushed" your throat to the side to do this op....yes?
knobby101 wrote:
yes... theres a little scare... pain was not a factor.. Dont worry, like I said check youtube.. that made it allot easier to face!
I looked into it already. Was checking everything from internet stuff to a set of really good doctors in Colorado, as well as Florida that do this procedure with much regularity. Knowing your experience is cool to hear. I have no doubt that this will be in my future.
knobby101
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St George, UT US
5/7/2012 4:11pm
Do yourself a favor.. forget about any type of treatment, all they do is drug you up. which some of use may enjoy, but it makes it hard to ride while your drulling all over yourself..
renevets
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Cincinnati, OH US
5/7/2012 5:12pm
Thanks for all the input!

Knobby - are you able to get into a bicycle riding position with those two fused? Mountain biking is my main thing these days.
FIFIFO
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Huntington, NY US
5/7/2012 5:24pm
renevets wrote:
Thanks for all the input! Knobby - are you able to get into a bicycle riding position with those two fused? Mountain biking is my main...
Thanks for all the input!

Knobby - are you able to get into a bicycle riding position with those two fused? Mountain biking is my main thing these days.
In 1995 I shattered my C3. I have a Ti plate & 4 screws, 2 in my C2 & 2 in C4. I raced plenty of moto since then but I'm more into cycling then moto right now. I do lots of "endurance" type rides & my neck feels just fine.
sc961
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Hutchinson, MN US
5/7/2012 6:37pm
I "had" the same issue. Doc told me if after 10-12 weeks from the onset, if your body hasn't "fixed" itself sugery will take care of it. Luckily, mine cleared up after a few months.

Prior to that, I had trouble sitting at my desk for the morning. The only time it was comfortable was laying down.

Doc said surgery is a breeze, and I'd be riding again inside of 6 to 8 weeks. Through the front of the neck is a little different, but its the lesser of all evils for that area.

If you've been fighting it that long, get it fixed but make sure you select a top level institute and doc.

Good luck.
knobby101
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St George, UT US
5/7/2012 7:11pm
renevets wrote:
Thanks for all the input! Knobby - are you able to get into a bicycle riding position with those two fused? Mountain biking is my main...
Thanks for all the input!

Knobby - are you able to get into a bicycle riding position with those two fused? Mountain biking is my main thing these days.
Other then not being able to turn my head past my shoulder i really dont notice it.
EastFlorida
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Merritt Island, FL US
5/7/2012 7:12pm
I've had it as well as lower back. For some blessed reason, I got better w/o surgery. If there is ANY alternative to surgery, try it first! If you need more info, PM or email me. Too long of a story to tell on here and it would bore most people. Good Luck!
gharmon
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Valley, AL US
5/7/2012 7:46pm
renevets wrote:
I have a nerve pinch at around the C6, C7 with pain and numbness down my left arm. I have some arthritis and degeneration of the...
I have a nerve pinch at around the C6, C7 with pain and numbness down my left arm. I have some arthritis and degeneration of the disk because I'm 50+. I haven't been able to ride for 4 months now and am looking at surgery and all kinds of other treatment to get me back to some kind of riding.

I figured this is where I am most likely to find someone with experience with pretty much any kind of skeletal injury so, hopefully, you guys can weight in with opinions on the best way to deal with this thing.
I had a C3/4 problem years ago. I went to a chiro for about a year. I would feel great after an adjustment but sure enough after a hard day riding or case a jump and I wold feel it "pop" back out of place and immediately the "crick" feeling would return. After a year of adjustments I went to an spine doctor and he ended up fixing my by enlarging the opening where the nerves go thru. I also have a plate and like 6 screw on my C3/4 vertabrae. I was better the next day.

I was out of work for 6 weeks but only because he put me out. I was 100% the next day after surgery. I took it easy cause he said to but honestly I feel like I could have done anything. This was april 2004. They went thru the front of my neck also. They pushed the esoph. to the side and did it that way.

I was told I might have a slight loss of ROM (range of motion) and honestly I think I have a slight loss at the most extreme looking straight up angle. But I would do it again in a second. This damn ACL surgery I had 8 weeks ago has been much harder for me to get over.

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