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| Rethinking bench work with a neck problem |
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| thm_w:
--- Quote from: jmelson on April 15, 2021, 06:35:16 pm ---I thought I had replied to this earlier, but I don't see it. I had occasional bad cramping of neck and shoulder-area muscles about 20 years ago, I think. It occasionally got quite bad, lasting for several days, way worse than a typical "stiff neck". I took calcium and it cleared up. So, I started taking calcium daily, like 2 extra-strength TUMS morning and night. The neck cramping has NEVER returned! I have no idea if this might be of help, but you might try it and see. Certainly better than fusion surgery if it helps. Jon --- End quote --- Be cautious with calcium supplementation: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/calcium_supplements_may_damage_the_heart Get it from foods if possible. |
| jmelson:
--- Quote from: thm_w on April 16, 2021, 09:47:26 pm --- Be cautious with calcium supplementation: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/calcium_supplements_may_damage_the_heart Get it from foods if possible. --- End quote --- Thanks for that report, very interesting! I will keep it in mind. But, so far, my blood pressure rise has been very slow, so it looks like this might not be causing me any problems. Jon |
| hans:
--- Quote from: wasyoungonce on April 15, 2021, 11:38:07 pm ---Hans I'm an electronics Tech (a bit older now) ....and have cervical fusions. C1-2 fusions are very high...quite odd!. Most are C4-T2. You can also have ACDF Anterior Cervical Discectomy Fusions from through the front of the neck. They move the larynx out the way put plates in. Now ACDF doesn't particularly hurt that much but they usually also do posterior fusions. Which unfortunately hurts a lot ...a lot..... with a lot of ongoing pain. It can take years to settle. Infection with multiple surgeries is also a danger. The Cervical areas involved not only support the neck but your arm movements go thru around C4/5...so you tend to get tingling fingers. I'm 74% fused in my spine: S1-L5; T12-T6; C4-T2 posterior and ACDF. Had multiple multiple surgeries and multiple MRSA and other infections. I am still doing electronic repairs to SMD PCB component level systems (Losmandy Gemini telescope computers...LQFP 144 pin IC R&R and the other usuals) but have changed my ways, a lot. I use a video microscope...obviously a mantis would be better (I cannot afford one) Raised my bench. Set up a work station to inspect PCBs while in a reclining armchair (antistatic stuff installed). Limit my sitting work time ...get up walk away relax....come back...many times per day. Its taken me years Ill never get better will get worse but can still continue....It's not the end of the world but you will find it difficult. Give it time to heal...min 6+ months...if posterior...2 yrs (for the pain to start to recede). Slowly build up work. The unfortunate part is once you have spinal fusions more pressure is placed upon other level...which wear faster....you will need more so take it easy don't force movements. Pain....everyone experiences pain differently but be prepared if you have posterior C4-T2.......its intense for quite awhile. It does get better. I've lost partial feeling in my right hand and some fingers but can still solder with the best of them! Go figure. I cannot lift carry reach of hold any weights. A little sensation loss in Left hand and Left leg and difficult to walk nowdays. But hey I'm ok, its not the end of the world, I've been in enough hospitals to be grateful for what I do have. I've seen some really sick people.....fusions like this just restrict you can cause pain....thing that can be managed though everyone is different. In between surgery bouts and after lumber fusions...I was able to get out walk and even run after after years...but over did it wore the spine faster. Ended up more surgery. As for don't do it.....hmmm ever been in so much pain you scream.....the damage so bad your a quadriplegic possibility...damage above C6....can effect you breathing badly easily. Take the specialist advice but do get another opinion. You cannot exercise away disc; vertebra; nerve; or spinal cord stenosis damage. In many cases the fusions are to prevent further damage. I'm open to talk if you need...I've had that many spinal surgeries I cannot count them....so are kinda experienced of being on the user end! I'm grateful to be able to still work somewhat. cheers good luck relax don't fight it...take what comes it does get better. This I know. Brendan --- End quote --- Thanks for your insights and openness. This gives me hope that there is still a lot possible, however, we all need to play with the hand you're dealt. There hasn't really changed a whole lot w.r.t my condition the last few months. It went a bit better.. and now it comes back again a little back. I tried manual therapy on my shoulders up to lower part of the neck, but it had no appreciable effect. I still have neck and arm complaints when I get 'migraine'. The 'migraine' still hits several days a week, but I can manage them quite well. The medications from neurologist were giving me COVID-like side effects (tested negative every time), so I'm tapering off those. They hadn't really been effective anyway. So far I don't have plans to do the spinal surgery. I don't think my case is severe enough as it stands. I added quotes to "migraine" because I'm not even sure if it is migraine. I seem to respond to triptans, but that could also be of exhaustion effect that can ease tension on muscles for all I know. The symptoms are also usually quite mild.. e.g. I was busy lately at work and I can still function to work on radio simulations and write a paper about it. It's not like I used to have (I think real) migraines where I was debilitated for the whole day, and I couldn't do anything else except lay flat. Yes C1-C3 fusions are quite rare. I also think that most neurosurgeons would be very cautious in that region. I had read that in older surgery techniques, surgeons had to remove the lower jaw in order to reach and work on those area's successfully. Current techniques are still quite brutal, and like you said, only applied when there is a danger that the spinal cord or brain stem will be damaged. Like I said, the condition is quite rare. I have other birth defects as well, of which each are also quite rare yet mild but added up may explain why I'm not a pro athlete. :-// Luckily my job (PhD student) doesn't demand physical labour very much. It is very autonomous and I can steer towards my projects to the things I want to do. Usually that's a combination of software/signal algorithms, FPGA's and RF hardware. If needed I could choose to focus only on software/FPGA's and finish my projects in a satisfactory manner. I'm grateful that (right now) I don't have to doubt about my job security to do the things I love to do. Since things have been kinda going the same and I've been very busy on that paper.. I haven't purchased a microscope yet. I do think I would go for an Amscope unit with an articulating arm to save space on my desk and have the flexibility of moving it around on the desk. My 1st choice would be something like this; https://www.amscope.com/stereo-microscopes/articulating-arms/3-5x-90x-trinocular-articulating-zoom-microscope-ring-light.html (Except I need to find an EU supplier for it) Next week I will receive some packages from JLC and Mouser with half a dozen personal projects. One of those projects is preassembled at JLC, only need to fit a few small connectors. Other projects are mostly SMT, but not really large complex designs. I will see if I can manage to work on them, I haven't done much if any hardware designs in almost 2 years. If my neck is aggravated by it, I will finally make the plunge to a microscope for sure. For work I'm also at a stage right now where it could be useful to create a hardware prototype. So it's also a little experiment to see if I can manage that, or perhaps that I am forcibly required to look if a colleague PhD student can take over a part of the work :) |
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