What do you know about Cervical Spondylosis?

[tricia]

Hi Cathe,

I recently have been diagnosed with cervical spondylosis, which what I am told could be chronic or could resolve itself and I could have few occurrences. I am wondering if you are aware of this condition, and if you know the better types of gentle stretches and activities I can do to keep myself from going bonkers while this heals. (I truly believe it will, I'm praying daily and manifesting a fabulous outcome!)

Just a few basic bits of info: I didn't have a triggering event like a fall or anything, although we have made 7 trips @ 500 miles apiece to see my father in the past 2 months before he succumbed to lung cancer Feb. 21st. So of course that has been stressful, emotionally draining and overwhelming. About 1 week before he passed, I noticed after doing an Insanity workout that I was feeling a numbness behind my right ear. This has since spread to my neck, shoulder/shoulder blade and clavical on the right side, and continues down into my right arm, and three fingers. I have less of a grip and a general numb/tingling there all the time. It feels like a shot of novocaine that never wears off.

My primary doctor has me on a prednisone pack for one week to try and bring down the inflamation, as well as muscle relaxers at bedtime, and Ibuprofin/asperin to fight pain throughout the day. I also sleep on a small roll pillow to keep my neck in alignment. An x-ray found that my c-6 vertebrae is slightly compressed, so is causing most of the discomfort. Oh and I use a cervical neck pillow that pumps up several times a day to elongate the neck.

Whew - with all that being said, I need to know if you have had any experience with this type of injury (personally or professionally) and what you may have found to work. I KNOW I have to rest and baby this, but is there nothing I can do in the meantime to keep the rest of my muscles from going crazy! Pilates poses, Yoga poses, standing leg work with no weights, tricep dips, I'll take any advice from anybody who's been here and gotten through it. Well - sorry so long and verbose, that's just me. I appreciate any words of advice, or heck, just encouragement at this point. Grieving is a strange thing, I wonder if this is my bodies way of making me stop so that I will take the time I need. Maybe.

As always, thanks for everything you do - even if it's just to read this long post from one of your Cathletes.

Much love,

 

[Mariposa1973]

I hope you feel better

 

[ashaw]

Hi,

I wish you a speedy recovery! I don't know anything about this injury, but if it is soft tissue related see if you have an Airrosti provider in your area. I had a cervical problem (neck/upper trapezius related) in 2012 and after 5 Airrosti visits, I was pain free. It was covered by my insurance. The hour session was 30 minutes massage and 30 minutes physical therapy exercises. I had a lot to do on my own at home, but I had just gotten laid off from my job at the time and had plenty of time to devote to recovery. I was in such pain that I would have to hold my left arm over my head when I would walk my dog, too much pain to swing my arm naturally. Also, I knew that in order to be able to take another job, I would have to be pain free and able to sit at a computer. I hope you get better! Forgot to add that I avoided MRI's surgery, pain meds, etc by going to Airrosti. And I was diagnosed and referred to Airrosti by a nurse practicioner at my Dr's office! It was nothing short of a miracle!

Amanda

 

[tricia]

Great tip Amanda - Thanks!

I will definitely look into that, I really don't care for taking so many meds, for any reason. And I need to be able to get my mobility back - everyone tells me I have to stop - slow down = REST! That is tough to do, as everyone here knows. I am keeping a positive attitude and looking for all the info I can get, so thank you very much!

 

[ashaw]

Hi Tricia,

I hope you have an Airrosti provider where you live. It was hard for me to slow down. But, I was in so much pain that I couldn't even use the arm handles on my elliptical, I basically got on it and just used the foot pedals and I went over a month without lifting any weights. I remember having to go to the dentist during that time and it was all I could do to keep laying in the dentist's chair without crying. By the time I got home, I was in such excruciating pain that I did cry. I did have some basic neck stretches, but I needed more intense therapy. I hope you can find a solution and get back to being active!

Amanda

 

[fitover40]

Hi Tricia, I sure hope your neck/arm pain has resolved by now! I've dealt with neck pain for over 30 yrs, best guess is a car accident when I was 5 (I went thru the window, major bleeding and stitches), is what caused my cervical spine to degenerate (was seen on xrays when I was 20--they never did anything more after my car accident other than stitch me up (plus lady driving carried me around from house to house to find a rag for the blood). My neck would "go out" off and on over the years, finally last year it went out and everything I used to do (heat, rest, creams) didn't help. Sought out chiro (that's what i did when I was 20), and the pain (in my neck) was even worse after adjustments. Finally saw a neurosurgeon, and my neck was pretty bad. c5/c6 and c6/c7 was bulging into the spinal column by a moderate amount, c4/c5 was slipping forward causing some of the shoulder pain. but my entire left arm felt heavy/thick. After 5 months I finally got thru all the diagnostics and was scheduled for surgery. I opted for a 3 level fusion (neurosurgeon said I could just do one level, c4/c5 but that I would be back for the other 2). It's a good thing I did them all, c6/c7 was bone on bone. I hope you don't have to go thru this. It's been a tough recovery, but I found a CMT who knew what happens to the muscles after this surgery and she has helped guide me thru (and get out the knots that formed in the muscles from the stretching from adding space between the vertebra---I grew back to my original height-- surgery added back my 3/4" I had lost).

Anyway, I tried to stay active best I could during this 5 mths....chiro said yoga (never was very good at that, plus moving neck a wrong way put me into vertigo sometimes. I did the elliptical (no arms) and walked a bit, but it was always "painful". I hope you have recovered now!

 

[tricia]

Thank you, Lisa & Amanda

Hello -

I feel like it's been forever since I've been on the forums, and I want to thank you both for your posts and encouragement. I am feeling much better, my neck only bothering me when I stress it by doing too much, and the numbness has more or less settled into my finger and thumb of my right hand. I will follow up here once I have my appointment with the doc I've been referred to & I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Physical Therapy will be my ticket. I'm just happy to be off the meds I took right after, and I am managing it with the occasional OTC for now. I really appreciate the feedback and information ~ Thanks so much,

 

[fitover40]

My neck was facet pain from the discs being extremely degenerative. And nerve pain to shoulder since c4/c5 was involved, sometimes triceps pain, that was c6/c7. It was excruciating pain, constantly. I worry the numbness is a nerve impingement for you. What kind of doc are you going to? I hope it is a specialist, nerves are nothing to mess around with. I know someone who put it off too long and did not get back much nerve function after surgery. I ended up just doing walking after all diagnosis was done as neurosurgeon wanted me to stay with my regular workouts so we would know what procedures helped to give him more info than just a MRI. Unfortunately I have had a lot of experience with this, PM me if you need anything.