[joanne8]

hi everyone,hope you are all ok.

its me again with more probs.

18months ago i got dx with cervical spondylosis,there is no curvature in my neck.

over the months,it is very noticable that my neck is not in alignment,i have a hump appearing top of shoulder line,and it is painful even to touch,i am getting severe headaches/pain behind eyes,first i put these sx down to having chronic rhinitis,but that is now resolving and still left in much pain in head/neck.

has anyone else been dx with cervical sponylosis(osteoarthritis) of neck,if so? did it get worse,i am starting to look quite bent over especially from side profile,do you think their is more going on,as my rhumy told me that it wouldnt deterioate very much and probably stay the same to old age,i am 42yrs old not 82.

please what is happening to me,i had an xray at the time of dx,do i warrant more tests,or is this how our bodies go when we get to our 40s,.

thanx jo8

 

[halfpintfl]

Hi Jo, I am sorry that you are in so much pain right now.
I can't say that I have been there, but, I have been in that neighborhood. You're right, it does not help a headache.
I have sculliosis, and degenerative disc disease, a herniated disc between 2&3. The d.r I went to at the time(a Rheumy) sent me to see an orthapedic man. He was the only one that was honest with me. I had already seen a
plate full of dr.'s and zero. This dr. followed me and tested me for the better part of a yr, and finally gave me the answer. There was nothing that could be done with my neck at that time. That was about eight yrs ago,and all I have is a noisy cracking neck, that I pay no attention to. I
pray that I have not hurt you, but I don't lie to people. And
you always seem so happy around here. I really think it is something that you are going to have to live with. If I have hurt you, find me and hit me over the head--a lot. ​

 

[joanne8]

hi halfpint,

thank you for getting back to me,no you havnt hurt me,not at all,i know their isnt much they can do other than pain meds.

i have an appointment tonight,as i am in severe pain,i usually take tramodol,with paracetomol but dont seem to be relieving the pain.

my main concern at the mom is i have noticed,that i am not able to keep my neck straighten i am always sort of bent over,i am going to ask for a neck brace,which they are not always happy to give as they say it can restrict movement.

but i am going to argue with them as i have never tried one so until i do how do they know whether it any good or not,it might be such a relief who knows?

on a night time whilst in bed,my neck jerks back with no warning it doesnt actually hurt when that happens,it frightens me more than anything as i feel i am going to break my neck,if you understand what i mean.

i have so much going on at the mom i dont know when or what to worry about.

halfpint thankyou so much for answering my concerns,you really have been a great friend to me on this site.

please dont ever think you upset me,as deep down the same for all of us we all have the same fears and obstacles to hurdle,thats why this site is so good so that we can voice our concerns and share experiences,i know none of us are the same,but we need to talk and be heard,thats why we all understand each other.

hope you are not to unwell at the mom.

love and best wishes jo8

 

[halfpintfl]

Hi Jo, I understand why you are going to the dr.'s again tonite, you really, really hope that one of these times the pain pills will work. Only they wont. I ended us just saying that this is not worth all the hassel, no more, needles, meds patches, rubs nothing, I am just going to have to live with it, I am, it took about a yr. now it just makes a loud crack whenever I move it in any direction, or up and down.
And no, I can not hold my head up straight, I have becomesort of stooped over, but what can I do? If I stand in front of a mirror and try to stand perfectly straight, it hurts. And if you get that neck brace, you will hate it, it is hot, messes up your hair, very uncomfortable. But try. Thanks for those kind words, right back at ya, and will you let me know what happens when all is done? (((hugs))):wink2:

 

[joanne8]

hi halfpint,hope you are well,

i went docs,and guess what you are right to every word.

i had a big argument with this doc(he is not my usual doc)i have never been to him before.

he tried to tell me that its the way i am thinking about it all,i was fuming with him,my hubby was very proud of me as i stuck up for myself.

anyway he has referred me to ortho specialist,will not give me a neck brace,and said that the surgeon wont either,but agreed it did need looking at again.

so not such a bad outcome,will have to wait and see.

thankyou for your advise,love and best wishes jo8x

 

[halfpintfl]

jo8, hi there, I am proud of you too, It takes a lot of gumption to stand your ground to a doctor, and You did it. Supergirl!!!!! Tell your hubby that he has a winner for a wife. Let the rest of the orthopedic dept. all take their turns looking, pooking, turning your head till you yell, taking more x-rays, and each will come up with his own theory.All I care about is that in the end, they find an answer. (hugs)

 

[ALWIN]

Hi jo8

I have scoliosis / arthritis affecting my thoracic spine as well as the more common lupus stuff. I am nearly 44 and the scoliosis started to show itself about 10 years ago. It has not deteriorated very much during this time.

It causes me a lot of discomfort intermittently, but then it seems to stabilise for a while.

At certain times the discomfort turns to really difficult to eradicate pain that can last and last. It is during these periods that if I flare too I get extremely low and have to battle to keep going.

I have found it useful to gradually improve the flexibility of my spine and the muscles in my back / shoulder and neck through regular gentle swimming and the help of a very experienced yoga instructor who does special therapeutic sessions for people with health issues. It is not one size fits all group work. I do a programme of exercises designed just for me which seem to be helping a lot. As time goes on I am finding the poses easier to get into, though I can't do any of them properly yet, but I still find I am very comfortable afterwards and I have never hurt myself.

My scoliosis is not that evident to doctors unless they go bak and read my notes - they seem to need x rays!

However, this chap told me I had scoliosis before I told him - well impressed I was too.

I would not use a brace myself nuless told it was absolutely essential.

Because these things cannot really be easily cured (if at all??) I think it is a good idea to see what you are able to do to prevent associated muscle and joint pain and improve relaxation of the affected parts to promote a more natural posture. My back has had me looking quite deformed before now as I tightened and guarded bits of my spine - totally subconsciously. I have felt like an right old bird in the past.

Everybody is suited to different treatments, but I thought it might be worth sharing what is helping me for now. For what it is worth, I used to take max dose of Voltarol and cocodamol at the same time day in day out. Right now I am taking nothing for pain - though I am aware that Plaquenil is a mild anti-inflammatory so I'm sure it is helping.