Hi Tom ~ I'm so sorry you're in such pain. I'm glad you found us. Have you had an MRI of your neck? It sounds like that might be where your pain is generating from. Ask your doc for an MRI with and without contrast material. X-rays will NOT do any good. They don't show the soft tissue, like the discs. An MRI is what you need. See if you can get one done ASAP, and let us know what it says.

Whatever it says, you'll want to stay with conservative treatment UNLESS your spinal cord is being impinged. I hope you can get this test as soon as possible. Also, ask your doc for something for the pain. Best of luck and God bless. Hugs, Lee

I decided I would respond back now. I actually had major neck surgery last March.(as in C4-5) OK. I have had neck MRI's, brain MRI's & low back MRI's. OK. I was told degenerative disc disease,L4-5, after the one during the week of Christmas. Also, I did wear the neck brace for 12 straight weeks. OK. I was told the surgery was a success. Of course, I was actually told my neck is not 100% below where the surgery took place, but 2 neurosurgeons, 1 neurologist, 1 orthopedist,and 1 pain clinic doctor all agreed it was not doing any pressing and that it was not enough to be sweating over. Oh! I also use a cane and lose my balance sometimes. Yep! I did have to go to balance training because of an inner ear problem on the left side as well. I even had the test to prove I was not having seizures.(which I knew I did not need that test) (and wore a heart monitor for nothing) (and no work since back in November) By the way, I can't count up every test and doctor visit of 2011 on one hand right now. I must figure your neck has been messed up before. Oh! I am in the right group now.(ddd) I was just taking Aleve and/or Tylenol and getting enough relief. OK. I have got some Tramadol by now. I have taken a few.(at night because of drowsiness)(if pain was not 1 or 2 only) Yep. I was getting relief, but I seem to wake up in pain of 3, 4, or 5 sometimes now. Why? I don't get it. Anyway, I am going to see if I can doze at all. Yep!

Tom,
The pain in the neck is a "pain in the neck". I hear you loud and clear.
My shoulder wakes me up at least 3 or 4 times. I try about every kind of pillow there is. I probally sleep a little better cuz besides Norco I take zanax and a muscle relaxant. I still wake up, just am able to go back to sleep.

I sure can understand if you are frustrated to say the least. When you have pain you want answers. The doctors not validating your pain just is plain wrong.

You are on the right spot. DDD. There is another for chronic pain as well.

I don't remember reading if you had a CT of your brain. From all the tests you list I am sure you have. If you haven't it might be something to think about. The balance issue and weakness in legs. If there wasn't nerve impingement with your L4-L5 then something else is going on. I know you know that i don't have to tell you.

Pain has a way of making us feel bad about ourselves. Don't even think the word "loser". You are going through alot of pain and need an answer. It sounds like you are very careful with the tramadol. Are you afraid of taking anything stronger? Our bodies heal while we sleep and if you aren't sleeping then it is hard to manage pain or do anything else. You mentioned pain clinic doctor. Was that for injections?

Enough. I just want you to know that I hear what you are saying and am sending you some ZZZZZZZZZ's for tonite.

Until my neurosurgeon put me on a long acting pain medication I always woke up at about 3:00. I either took another pill or was awake for the next day, though exhausted. Has your doctor said you cannot take another tramadol? Getting the long acting med was a real gift and my doc says it's healthier than going back to the percocet over and over. I have neuropathy, poor gait and balance, and no sense of position in space, mostly lower body due to spine and nerve damage that started with C4-6 fusion with a plate. Now both cervical and lumbar spine is fused and unstable. Do your neuros think what you experience is what they would normally expect with your current condition? If not, then someone needs to look further. If it is, they need to give you better pain medication. I hope you find help soon. There's not much worse that severe neck pain in the middle of the night with no relief. I've been there.

I did state brain MRI, by the way. I have had a scan of my head during my lifetime as well. The nerve damage test on my legs was good. The orthopedist actually put advanced degenerative disc disease on the letter that he did that was sent to Atlanta. By the way, I am trying to get on retirement disability through the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia. Yep! Oh! I am trying to get on SSD as well. I'll probably be denied like most people are on the first try. (although ready to have lawyer if needed) Also, I have been getting proper sleep.(or usually)(and napping, too) OK. I was told chronic fatigue a while back. Oh! I did mention I woke up and peed because of the bladder disease, IC, but I went back to sleep. Actually, it does not always wake me up, either. I was asked if I can't take another Tramadol. Why? I still got some now. I have had some days in 2011 where I did not need pain med or any rubdown with any pain relieving cream.(which I have more than one) (and walked without cane) (although it was definitely used today) OK. That one person mentioned balance as well. I must figure that person has fallen, too. I am actually tired of having tests done and going to different doctors appointments by now. I don't have any this week. That is cool with me. I need to have a break before I just lose my cool for good. None of the doctors that I did mention said they can say 100% that the falls were simply because of DDD. (possibly...plus inner ear problem on left side)(with no ear trouble)(but some test that was showing it) OK. They all agreed the neck is not needing more surgery, causing anything worth sweating over, or showing anything that should make me lose my balance.(though I fall without getting hurt)(so far) By the way, I actually got the orthopedist to do injections on both sides of my back instead of pain clinic doctor. The pain clinic doc was waiting on nerve test results, but I just cancled. Oh! My back was better for a couple of weeks.(and still hurts less than neck & shoulders sometimes) Anyway, I have typed enough by now. It is not making any pain vanish now. That will be all now.

Unfortunately Tom, you're going to have to figure that you're going to have SOME pain from now on. Once you have spinal surgery, you are NEVER the same afterwards. And usually, the level below your fusion site will FAIL -- it's called the domino effect -- the disc below the surgery site will herniate, and you will probably have lots of pain. It would be a mistake to have surgery, but most people do. Surgery just begets more surgery - and the doctors don't tell us this.

The American Medical Society said that last year in a study they proved that spinal surgeries, whether they were fusions or not, got the same results as people who just went to physical therapy!!! How scary is that?? In other words, there were THOUSANDS of NEEDLESS surgeries!!! The only time people need to have surgery is when their spinal cord is being impinged -- or else when there is danger of permanent nerve damage. Usually all other things can be taken care of in physical therapy.

I sure wish I had known that 26 years ago when I had surgery -- but there wasn't even an internet then so I could research. I would have NEVER let them operate on me.

So you're going to unfortunately have to join the thousands of chronic pain patients, I'm afraid. God bless and take care. Hugs, Lee

You are a valuable person! Thank you for your service in the Navy!
All the pain you are mentioning, can be related to anxiety physical symptoms.
I am on social security disabilty now. It took me a while and I had to hire an expert attorney who provided me such support and guidance in the Administrative Law Judge hearing that I made it almost completely through the hearing before my symptoms became obvious, and the judge approved me after seeing me go from being upright and focused to jerky and distracted after a series of questions that required detailed answers.
Best wishes with your disability process through both social security and the Teacher's Retirement System in Georgia.
It is a matter of meeting the eligibility requirements in relation to the specific disability you are presenting, and the more medical evidence you have to support your application and the descriptions of how your disability affects your normal daily living activities is also important.
I would check into having an anxiety assessment done to help you with the pain.
I had the injections done, one in my neck, passed out from the cold cloth one technician slung on my neck, along with a funny comment, and one in my lower back, and way before, one in my foot and a couple of years back, one in the hip. Two weeks of relief, and then the pain got worse.
I went back to primary doctor. I explained that I would never go back to injections. I would learn to live with the pain and that was when he mentioned a temporary treatment for the increased anxiety that came with the increased pain levels.
It's not a quick fix, and it helps with part of the healing, as the level of anxiety went back to normal, and my normal anxiety levels also decreased, the lingering pain became less of a problem.
In learning the differences between pain in the nerves and pain in the muscles, I keep a journal with details on my daily living activities to help me sort through what happens each day.
The neck is where we connect the brain to the body, so sometimes, we load it with far more than it can hold.
I hope this helps you get some much needed relief!
You are not alone!

I could not stand up straight once I first woke up today. OK. I was in pain as well. I finally took an Eleve Liguid Gel, rubbed down with pain relieving cream and still got in tub with Epson Salt before I felt like getting ready and going somewhere. Besides, a female friend and I had planned to go out to eat together at a local restaurant. Yep! We still did. I was walking with the cane as well. She could tell I was not doing all to splendid. Regardless, she wanted to buy some groceries at the nearby Wal-Mart. OK. I do take her to go shopping sometimes. Anyhow, I finally noticed both legs were not feeling good. That was why I went to sit down. That would be what the benches are all for. I ended up having to go to the bathroom as well. I just threw that in.(and deal with interstitial cystitis as well) She got finished up. I walked right outside, as in 2 steps, and fell. Oh! I got back up. I just scraped my right hand a tad. Yep! I can hardly tell it any longer. Cane went down, too. The man and woman walking behind us were asking if I was OK. I was saying I seem to be. She was saying that I just do that sometimes and the get back up. I had to hold on to the cart and the cane the rest of the way. (with legs not feeling good) Oh! She got taken home and then I went home, too. Geez! I am not totally pain free right now. My legs don't feel totally normal now. I was standing by a window in my apartment after I got back. My knees went forward.(which mens that I start to go straight, or basically, down)(and happened a few times before) OK. I have not been having falls as much. I feel like resting now. that will be all now.