Cervical spondylitis

Cahermac

Hi everyone I'm a newbie. I had sudden pain left shoulder blade, then spread across left shoulder down to my fingers. Doc quickly diagnosed some kind of neuropathy. Eventually had mri and even later saw consultant who confirmed nerve impingement on 3 vertebrae. Now awaiting steroid injection. I'm on 600mg pregabalin x3 daily. Is there always this delay before surgery? Feeling fed up  - not eager for surgery but frustrated that it's so hard to get info out of doctors. Anyone else going through this?

Cahermac

I've somehow subtitled my question as 'disability rights' and don't know how to change it ...Its just a general post

MW123

Hello Cahermac 

In many cases, doctors prefer to initially try non-surgical treatments like medication, physiotherapy , steroid injections to alleviate symptoms and reduce inflammation. This approach is often taken to see if the symptoms improve without the need for surgery. 

I had an eight-month wait for the steroid injections, which were administered with precise precision using the CT scanner to target the exact location. The procedure lasted approximately 45 minutes, and upon leaving the room, I experienced an incredible transformation.  The pain had completely vanished, and I regained the ability to walk freely. While some individuals enjoy months of relief from these injections, unfortunately, the benefits for me dissipated within 48 hours, leaving me right back where I started. 

In my case,  it was concluded that due to additional health factors, undergoing spinal surgery would carry a substantial level of risk. Consequently, the decision was made not to proceed with the surgical option. 

All the above for me took place in 2018. Given the widespread delays caused by the pandemic, numerous hospitals are currently working hard to catch up, resulting in significantly longer waiting times. I sincerely hope that you won't have to endure a lengthy wait for your treatment.

 

Cahermac

Thank you MW123! I've already been told that I too am not a good candidate for surgery as compression is on 3 consecutive vertebrae. Just typing in my issues lifted a bit of my fed-up ness last night. Best wishes

Hannah_Alumni

Hello @Cahermac

Welcome to the community! How are you today?

No worries, I popped your post over into our Physical and Neurological Impairments section of the forum. I'm so sorry you have been feeling fed up. I do hope the steroid injections help! 

Cahermac

Thank you Hannah!

L_Volunteer

Please do let us know if there's anything else we can do to help @Cahermac