I have herniated discs c3 and c4. one is pinching nerves and the other is compressing my spinal?

14 Jul 2011

If you have been diagnosed with stenosis of the spinal cord, you most likely will not get better. I might add especailly just using pain pills. They are intended to stop pain for a short time not to heal the injury. If you haven't already, I would suggest your counsel with a neruosurgeon to get their opinion of what would best help you. They new less invasive ways of helping even surgically today then they did when I had mine in 1973 & 1980. I am not a very good judge of whether it would help or not, but usually a stenosis requires surgery to relieve pressure of the spinal cord. Hope this helps you, & best wishes to you...

14 Jul 2011

There are procedures that are targeted at the specific nerves causing the pain that may be able to help. Epidural injections put steroids in the dura of the spinal cord and help reduce inflammation and swelling. Cervical facet rhizotemy's, done under fluoroscope, provide a way for the neurosurgeon or pain management doctor to see in an active X-Ray so specific nerves in the tiny facet joints can be burned, giving pain relief until the nerves regenerate. Go and see a pain management specialist to see if any of these procedures, or others, might help. I postponed surgery now for over 5 years now with these same day procedures that are done, with anesthesia, in a "procedure" room of an office. The anesthesia used is the kind that induces a "twilight sleep" where you can still respond to the doctor's questions but later you do not remember the 20 - 30 minute procedure and you are able to go home after 30 minutes with the aid of a driver.