Question
Hi:
i am one year post op and out of habit (thought i broke it) i rolled my neck to get it to pop for lack of better term when i was feeling pretty tense.  A few days later i am now experiencing tingling in my fingers like prior to surgery.  could i have messed up my fusion?  I am fully fused and fully released.  Or am i just paranoid?
thanks


Answer
Kim,
 If you are a year post-operative, it is unlikely that you messed up your fusion.  Since the time that you rolled your neck, have you had an increase in the range of motion in your neck?  If you have, then maybe you altered the fusion.  The tingling in your fingers could come from a lot of things.  One of the reasons could be that you irritated one of the scalene muscles on the side of the neck that is now compressing onto the nerves causing the tingling into your fingers.  Another could be tightness along your pec major and minor muscles, again compressing on some nerves causing your fingers to be tingling.  I wouldn't say you are paranoid, if you have increased ROM, increased tingling and any feeling of instability, return to your surgeon for a follow up visit.

Martin