New member intro - cervical

**rfane** · 03-09-2011, 04:32 AM

Originally Posted by Justin

Hi Roger,

I've been following your progress. Sorry about the news in regard to your deltoid atrophy. Good luck with the ESI and physical therapy.

Be careful with the aleve--too much can be very hard on your kidneys.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Thanks Justin. I hear you on the Aleve. It's one of the main reasons I get so frustrated with the long delays in this process. Every doctor and medical assistant I've interfaced with knows how much I take, and for how long. I've been offered a precription for Celebrex, as it's supposedly easier on the stomach than Aleve, but also not as effective. Being unemployed without medical insurance, I can't see paying a bunch more for something that isn't as effective, so I didn't get the script filled. Of course I didn't know then that I'd have to wait another 2 months before the EMG and follow up visits were done, and they could get me scheduled for the first ESI.

Had my sixth PT session earlier today. I guess it's yesterday now, as it's late. They are really working me over!! Each session lasts 2 hours. It seems to be helping to loosen up alot of the knots I've been carrying around. MRI on the shoulder is scheduled for later today. Then 3 more PT sessions before the first ESI a week from now. I have to be off Aleve by Saturday evening, so I'm hoping that the PT will help to keep the Loratab use to a minimum. Then I'm hoping the ESI works so I can try to cut out the Aleve use altogether, or at least cut back on it.

**Cindylou** · 03-11-2011, 08:43 AM

Roger, where did you hear that the Celebrex was less effective than Aleve? I'm just curious. I take Celebrex 200 mg 1 x day in a.m. and always with food. I think it's quite beneficial. You might want to give it a try, for comparison sake, plus, that would give your kidneys a break for a bit too. Just a thought. Cindylou

**rfane** · 03-12-2011, 06:38 AM

Cindylou,

I was told that by the Pain Management doctor who was the one offering me the prescription.

I'm hoping to be off the Aleve entirely as of later today. I need to discontinue it until the ESI on Wednesday. I have Loratab 5/500 standing by if I need it. One thing that may help me stay off Aleve, is that my Ortho gave me a Cortisone injection in my left shoulder yesterday. MRI shows I have a partial tear of the supraspinatus tendon, tendinopathy in the infraspinatus tendon, and fluid in the subacrimonial/subdeltoid bursa. Showed lots of inflammation as well. Shows that I still have some of the deltoid that isn't atrophied, which is good. So, between the PT, ESI, and shoulder injection, I'm hoping for some relief, at least in the short term.

**Cindylou** · 03-13-2011, 10:05 AM

Good luck with your ESI on Wednesday. I hope this gives you some much needed relief. Cindylou

**rfane** · 03-17-2011, 03:53 PM

The ESI was done yesterday, and between that and the cortisone in the shoulder, I am very pleased with the results so far. Prior to the injection, my pain level was increasing rapidly due to stopping the NSAID use. Now, I am feeling better than I have for a long time. Hopefully it lasts for awhile. The second one is scheduled for April 11th.

I had some sedation, which was just enough to take the edge off, without making me too out of it. The procedure itself was fairly easy. Initially the doctor was concerned that my big shoulders were going to make it more difficult on her, but she was very pleased with where she was able to put the steroid. Worst part of it, was the pre-op nurse having to do the IV twice. It wouldn't stay in my hand, so she had to do one in the crook of my arm. The hand one is now all red and sore.

**rfane** · 10-10-2011, 01:06 AM

Hi Everyone,

It's been a while since I've been on the forum, and decided to catch up on things here.

A lot has happened since my last post in this thread. I had both ESI's as planned, which have done a great job. Also had one round of Trigger Point injections. Between those and PT I did, the neck has been doing pretty well.

The shoulder didn't respond well to PT. Strength improved, but pain increased significantly. I ended up having surgery on it on July 30th, and it turns out that the Labrum was torn off the bone from top to bottom on the front of the shoulder, and a third of that was basically just frayed away. They did a Bankart Repair on it. The Biceps tendon attachment to the labrum was also partially torn, and they fixed that. I had a significant amount of inflammation (synovitic tissue) which they cleaned up. While they were in there, they also did an Acromioplasty to smooth out any bone spurs, and also shaved off 5mm of the clavicle at the AC joint. The two times I've seen my surgeon since, he has commented that it was "a big surgery". It was done arthoscopically, with just 2 incisions, and I actually did real well. The worst part was being in a sling / immobilizer for 6 weeks. The sling was very uncomfortable on my neck, and having to sleep in it on my reclining sofa for that 6 weeks really sucked.

I'm now half way through with the initially scheduled PT on it. It's very painful to get everything stretched out and strengthened again. The range of motion and strength is improving, but still very limited compared to my other shoulder. It's also very uncoordinated. It's going to take quite a while to get it back to normal, but I'm striving to be on a golf course come Spring.