I saw a patient this month with severe neck pain, unable to turn his head from side to side, and waking up in the middle of each night with severe pain in his neck and shoulders. He had this pain for 10 years. Two surgeons told him, based on his MRI which showed severe degenerative changes, that his only chance for improvement was a fusion of the bones in his neck (cervical spine).

Spinal fusions are performed more frequently each year in the US. The operation generally involves fusing the vertebra in your neck from the front and the back, using metal plates to prevent movement, which will hopefully diminish or eliminate your pain. Many of these operations fail with the patient experiencing either no improvement or at worst more pain.

Your examination, as his,  typically did not include a thorough assessment of the role of painful muscles in the neck and shoulder. He had four muscles in his neck that were identified with the MPDD as a possible cause of his pain. They were injected followed by our post injection physical therapy, and now his neck pain and stiffness are 90% relieved.

This is not an unusual story. He didn't need surgery and you may not either. If you don't look for muscles as a cause of your pain you will never find them.

Have you been told that the only answer for your pain is surgery?
 

March 13, 2010 - 6:07pm — Posted by Dr. Norman Marcus