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"Girafee-like" neck - can anyone relate post-op?

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  • "Girafee-like" neck - can anyone relate post-op?

    Hi everyone-

    I have been posting about my neck issues ever since my surgery on June 8th. I have to say I am able to hold my neck up for about 5 hours now! I used to only be able to hold it up for an hour, which was very scary. Keep in mind that 3 weeks after surgery my neck was totally normal and I had no problems with it! I just think the muscles atrophied or it's just that my neck doesn't know how to position itself since I had bad kyphosis and scoliosis combined.

    Anyway, with all that being said, now that I am in PT for my neck, I am able to hold my neck up high for about 5 hours now before it starts to fatigue and go down. The weird thing is is that we have to work on retractions in therapy because my neck pretty much sticks out like a giraffe neck (it didn't do this before surgery). Before surgery, I guess you could say my neck held itself normal, but I had about 68 degrees kyphosis and 55 degrees throacic scoliosis on top so the large hump I had I'm sure didn't make my neck really "stand up" straight. Anyway, my question to you all is, after surgery, do you notice your neck looking different? Does anyone have the "girafe-looking" neck like me? My neck is currently leaning forward and sticking high and straight out. In PT we work on bringing the neck inward (basically trying to bring the neck inwards to make a double chin). I have had 4 weeks of PT for this, but I am so busy with the kids it is impossible to hold my neck in this position all day! They said I should do it every waking moment! I am starting to get frustrated!!! My back, finally is starting to feel back to normal, but I am really getting frustrated with my neck. I wish I had a crystal ball which would tell me my neck problems would be resolved in 6 months or so, I'm just scared something is seriously wrong with it. Dr. Boachie couldn't have been too scared 'cause my next appointment is in December!!!!

    Anyway, just wanted to see if anyone else has the giraffe neck going on. I read posts about leaning forward, just wondering if people mean they are leaning forward with their backs or also with their necks. My back doesn't lean forward, it's just my neck. I still want to try my chiropractor for my neck since he has done magical fixes in the past. I called Dr. B a few weeks ago and he said it was up to me, he didn't give me a yes or no answer.

    Thanks for listening. Hope everyone is doing well.

    JenM
    Last edited by JenM; 08-09-2010, 08:42 PM.
    Surgery date: June 8, 2010 with Dr. Boachie
    Thoracic curve: 55 degrees, corrected to 25 degrees
    Lumbar curve: 58 degrees, corrected to 27 degrees
    Posterior-only surgery, Levels T3-L3
    31 year old mother of 2 young kids

  • #2
    I don't know anything about post-surgery (my son hasn't had surgery), but he has very similar curves to yours (50 something thoraic plus 60 something kyphosis) and used to have a very head-forward posture (something like this pic - http://www.proposture.com/images/girl_lg.jpg)

    He managed to move his head position back at least a few inches doing those stretches. But, he just does them as stretches - he doesn't intentionally try to hold his head is that position all day.

    Comment


    • #3
      Thank you, hdugger. My neck currently looks like the girl in the blue shirt, sticking straight out like a giraffe! They are trying to get me to do those exercises also in PT. Thanks for the picture. I'm not sure why my neck would do this post surgery when it didn't do it before surgery!! Very frustrating....
      Surgery date: June 8, 2010 with Dr. Boachie
      Thoracic curve: 55 degrees, corrected to 25 degrees
      Lumbar curve: 58 degrees, corrected to 27 degrees
      Posterior-only surgery, Levels T3-L3
      31 year old mother of 2 young kids

      Comment


      • #4
        Jen--
        I didn't realize for a long time that mine was like that too. I've consciously tried to bring it back and I think over time it does get some better. I'm not sure what causes that though. Janet
        Janet

        61 years old--57 for surgery

        Diagnosed in 1965 at age of 13--no brace
        Thoracic Curve: 96 degrees to 35 degrees
        Lumbar Curve: 63 degrees to 5 degrees
        Surgery with Dr. Lenke in St. Louis--March 30, 2009
        T-2 to Pelvis, and hopefully all posterior procedure.

        All was posterior along with 2 cages and 6 osteotomies.

        Comment


        • #5
          Janet-

          Did that just happen to you post-surgery like me?
          Surgery date: June 8, 2010 with Dr. Boachie
          Thoracic curve: 55 degrees, corrected to 25 degrees
          Lumbar curve: 58 degrees, corrected to 27 degrees
          Posterior-only surgery, Levels T3-L3
          31 year old mother of 2 young kids

          Comment


          • #6
            Jen--If I had giraffe neck before I wasn't aware of it. My neck always shows a straight line in x-rays no curve and still that way of course. For some reason with the initial difficulty of walking I think we poke our heads forward. I found recently I try to think of hinging my back back at the hips and then the head comes along and I'm straighter. Of course, then I have to hold in my stomach! But it does seem to work. I'm not sure if I could hinge back that way months ago--I'd never tried. Janet
            Janet

            61 years old--57 for surgery

            Diagnosed in 1965 at age of 13--no brace
            Thoracic Curve: 96 degrees to 35 degrees
            Lumbar Curve: 63 degrees to 5 degrees
            Surgery with Dr. Lenke in St. Louis--March 30, 2009
            T-2 to Pelvis, and hopefully all posterior procedure.

            All was posterior along with 2 cages and 6 osteotomies.

            Comment

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