Between my shoulder blades - 10 weeks post-op

[cathydrew]

Hey everybody...

I'm having some neck pain, similar to pre-op even tho Doc said it'll get better once my thoracic back muscles settle down, and I know it's magnified by how much I need to lay flat on my back. I'm a little freaked out though, because I'm feeling tightness, and strange sensations right in the middle of my back I'd say by T-8? I feel it mostly when I put my shoulder blades together. Is it some numbness wearing off? Is there any way I knocked something loose by all the wiggling I'm doing to get comfortable? I called the P.A. No reply yet.

On the positive side, I'm walking nearly a mile a day at a decent pace, and running around in the pool, which feels AMAZING. Sitting is getting a little better too...honestly the neck is more bothersome than the back, and even the pelvic anchors have settled down, just a little nerve pain when I get up. I go back July 2 but I'm really a little scared about this new feeling, I'm praying its just muscles waking up. Any thoughts?

Thanks!

ps my boobs are SO much smaller and my belly sticks out a little but I also lost 24 pounds.

[LindaRacine]

Cathy...

Try to avoid putting stress on your spine by working with your chin down. For example, don't work on something like knitting, where your head is tilted down. What you're describing is pretty common for people with fusions going into the high thoracic area.

--Linda

[green m&m]

I had that pain post-op. It started going away 4 months out when I was doing more upper body strength training with PT

[ksmom0611]

Hi Cathy!
It's been a while! Lots going on here at the end of the school year.

Sounds to me like that pain is totally normal. I have it. It's getting better but was definitely very intense at first. I've had significantly more upper back/shoulder blade pain than anything else. It's all those muscles being cut and then being pulled back into a strange place they're not used to. They will work on that with you in PT. I've had major pain, stabbing, burning, itching, and numbness there. Lying on my back makes it worse, but other positions are not comfortable or do-able yet. Ice helps me the most.

Good luck!

[jrj1965]

Here is my experience with cracking sounds in my neck. (FYI, I had surgery for scoliosis in 1964 when I was 15 years old. I had two Herrington rods attached and nine vertebrata fused.) Within the last few years I noticed how tight my shoulder and neck muscles get and that when I moved my neck how I heard cracking sounds. Also, pain in the neck and shoulder area has been getting progressively worse in the last few months. About three months ago I started going to a massage therapist who advertises his specialty as pain management. He has mainly worked on my back, shoulder, and neck muscles and the muscle tightness, pain, and popping has almost disappeared. Also, I was getting head aches and ear aches that I've had for years and they have almost totally disappeared too.