Do symptoms of myelopathy ever get better?

[bpreachers]

So I had two surgeries in the past 5 months to correct a severely herniated disc and cervical stenosis (diagnosis on my military medical referral was cervical spondyliosis with myelopathy). I had an ACDF of C4/5 C5/6 and a posterior laminectomy and decompression with fusion and rods from C3 to T4. I still have many of the nerve symptoms I had prior to the surgery though not nearly as severe and most of the back/neckpain I had is gone (have standard post surgical pain, 8 weeks out from posterior laminectomy). Prior to the surgery I had severe nerve pain in my left forearm, left hand twitches periodically, numbness in my pinky and ring finger on my left hand, loss of strength in left hand, tingling in my pinky and ring finger on right hand, left leg numbness below knee, shooting pains in leg, and numb spots on my sides. Post surgery the only things that are still present are loss of strength in left hand, numbeness in left pinky and ring finger, nerve pain in left forearm, periodic left hand twitching, and numb toes on left foot. So overall I am much better than before but I just wonder if it will ever go away. My NS informed me it may never get better and that the surgery was just to keep things from getting worse so I am prepared for that but I still have hope. Just can't find information on if myelopathy symptoms ever actually go away after surgery. Thanks.

[Maria]

I don't know if I can answer your question or in fact I probably cannot suffice to say that some of my symptoms post my 2nd lumbar spine surgery were exacerbated and even worsened and some symptoms were even new tho after what seemed like years (and was years . ..12 years on Neurontin) most of those symptoms are gone.

I think it's probably a matter of the right area being addressed, then reduction of swelling and irritation around the nerve area that was addressed and then healing and hopefully no other areas that are close by with connecting neural pathways becoming involved. Or maybe speaking about lumbar areas.. and I think what I had were considered radiculopathies/neuorpathies.

That being said I could be completely off there...I just know that my last lumbar spine surgery was 1992.. it took nearly to 2005/6 to feel this much better re nerve related symptoms like awful deep burning pain and then numbness (which was scary tho not nearly as bad as the burning) to go away.

Now occasionally I feel like there is water running down my leg or something on it when there isn't but it's not every single day or 24/7.

I am thankful for even this much improvement tho remember I'm speaking about a lumbar spine surgery that failed (it was my 2nd lumbar surgery/discectomy). It sounds like your surgery was a success and you are well on your way to healing. Ihope whatever symptoms you are experiencing will not be uncomfortable and will be fairly short lived and/or at least not too bothersome.

Wishing you the best with that!

[jsewell]

bprerachers,
Sometimes it takes a long time for the nerve pain to go away. I had 2 surgeries within the last 6 months, both lumbar this time. The first one left me in horrible pain. My sciatic nerve was very injured or squished or whatever they want to call it. Basically i was hiking the day before surgery and after it , i couldn't not walk. Barely with a walker to get the the bathroom , but in extreme pain. I have had quite a bit of pain through my spine journey, but this was bad. So my next surgery was to get me out of pain. It worked. All the nerve pain was gone., Still surgical pain. I am left with leg pain on my left leg in the butt area, a band across my lumbar spine. I feel some burning, numbness on the left side aLSO. The right side was fine until i started physical therapy on Monday. I layed on my back and it really flared up the right side.
I also had the nerve pain and weakness on my left arm before my first cervical surgery. Ok i have rambled

I think both of us still have lots of healing to do. I am sure some more of the symptoms will go away in the next year or less. I am counting on it. I know it can take a year or more to totally fuse so lots is going on. Hope this helps a little
judy

[Maria]

It took from 1992 to 2010 for me to be able to stop the medication I took for nerve related pain post my 2nd spine surgery. Now somewhere in that time between 2005-2010 I was able to stop taking Gabapentin and not have horrible burning pain. I tried that in 2004 and still had neuropathies very badly.

The only thing that I know that happened was supposedly my facets at L5S1 fused. I thought I had autofused at that level but a very recent xray per my OSS shows that I've not yet fully autofused at that level. Still he said a fusion is a fusion and that is probably why I've had significant relief at L5S1 (L4 still is problamatic re flare ups/pain).

It was a long haul re relief from neuropathies and while I hope they may be gone forever I think I'm just enjoying any reprieve I've been able to have!