Question
I herniated a disc at work in my neck c6/c7 which required a anterior fusion with cadaver bone and plate.  After I was completely resolved of symptoms except for some residual pain in my right shoulder.  After 18 months I slipped on ice breaking the fusion again and herniating 2 other discs at work.  I had hit the back of my head so hard I broke the fusion and chipped bone off the disc above.  I was told my fusion was healed completely and I was lucky I had a titanium plate.  To make a long story short I was misdiagnosed and then had to wait to get my surgery approved.  I worked in horrible pain for 8 months. I had my second c6/c7 neck fusion, With a bone removed from a different disc all done posterior because of the added risk to going in anterior a second time.  Followed by almost 3 months in a hard collar then a month in a soft collar. I have been off work almost 6 months my pain has doubled since I had my surgery. My job is Support Specialist for the developmentally challenged.  I work with violent clients.  I was wondering what my risk is to further injury from falls, hits or car accidents? I am questioning if I need to change my job to something safer?  My nuerosurgeon does not know or wish to address this.  I just want to make the right choices for my own saftey.  I also want to get better so I can do the things I use to do.  I still have muscle pain in the back and sides of my neck.  I have painful spasms in my neck and shoulders down into my arms. I have sharp, dull, burning sometimes stinging pain. I have not been diagnosed with nerve damage as of yet but neurontin helps with some of the pain.  The pain into my shoulder is sharp and it seems to go around the back of the blade and under it.  I also have referred pain in my collarbone.  Pain medications do not control the pain very well. I am wondering if by being untreated and working for 8 months if I may of done more damage to my muscles and tendons?  By the way MRI show that this fusion is healing and does not have nerves being compressed.  My main questions are what is the risks of re-breaking my neck?  Can one do more damage that takes longer to heal or be permanent by not treating the break reasonably fast?  I hope you can help me.  I don't have many resources for help. Thank you for reading.

Answer
One of the most difficult things about spinal cord injuries is that each one is different and unique.  Pain is part of that uniqueness.  Each injured person can feel different pains at different intensities.  Some of that pain is related to the nerves, whether they're compressed or not. Having a problem and not correcting it in a timely manner can definitely add to the damage, some of which might be permanent.

In addition, some drugs work on some people and do nothing for others.  As a person with a C5/7 injury and constant pain in multiple body areas, I can empathize with you but unfortunately, I have no solutions for the pain.  Your physician can work with a variety of drugs to help.

Regarding your job, I agree with your concern for additional injury while working with violent patients.  Any injured area is not 100% of its original strength and each additional trauma has a collective effect.  If I were you, I would seek a less risky position.

Thank you for your question, Susan.  I hope that my answer was helpful.