Is this your fibromyalgia? Neck and shoulder pain, headaches, sensitivity to light touch, pain going to shoulder and arms, deep pain under the shoulder blade? Nothing works (lyrica, antidepressants, PT, gabapentin) ?
Consider that you were misdiagnosed!! Get a cervical MRI
Difficulty sitting, having to fidget in the car or at the dinner table, back pain that is felt down the thighs, feeling flexed forwards when you get up from your bed, or out of your car - this is lumbar degenerative disk disease!
If your foot numbness only involves the big toe or only the lesser toes - probably not neuropathy.
If your diabetes is not completely out of control - probably not a neuropathy.
If only one leg is numb - probably not a neuropathy.
It’s spinal nerve compression - get a lumbar MRI!
Disk replacement is definitely causing less adjacent level problems as compared to a fusion. Patients have heard every excuse in the book as to why they aren’t candidates - get a second opinion from someone that does disk replacement before going under the knife.
Pain behind the shoulder blade?! If its on top - its most likely coming from C5-6; if its the bottom, where the brasier line crosses - its likely from
C6-7. Consider getting an MRI of the cervical spine!
Have you heard “If you dont have a neck fusion, you may become paralyzed” from your spine surgeon? -Please ask for a second opinion. You will most likely be pleasantly surprised - disk replacement avoids postop issues from a fusion but more importantly - You may not need surgery
We admire moms so much! Moms are always so strong. However, you don't always have to be! There are many moms who struggle with back pain and don't do anything about it. Things like neck and lower back sciatica and much more can be really serious and are not to be ignored.