29 cervical sponsylosis with CP

Bones, joints and muscles
1

Hi,

So I have 3 pertruding discs c345 and I think 6, I'm 29. I have bone spurs on my left side, I have cerebral palsy, so my good hand is on my left side...

I'm someone that is extrmely fit, physically I look more ripped than 99% of fully abled people, my disabilty doesn't affect me! Boxing since 1988

Anyway, I'm not coping very well with my anxiety and reading all these horror stories are scaring the s**t out of me.

I'm 2 weeks away from finishing a degree in law, predicted 1st, I have worked four years for it, it has been the hardest years of my life. ,

it took me 10 years to get on the degree as I left school with no education/ had to do 4 courses to get to it.

I have a 9 month old son and fiancé that is relying on me. I have these huge plans to be a boxing promoter and lawyer.. to make millions so I can provide for my family and help people, every vision I have, I follow through.

But anyway, since the diagnoses, I have stiffness in between my shoulder blades, and hand pain, EMG on hand came back clear, X-ray clear. MRI showing no nerve entrapment, only tiny narrowing

These horror stories are making feel like I have a death sentence hanging over me, please can anyone who has had CS. For more than 15/20/30years tell me anything positive. Like can you still train, is your life cool?

My doctors don't seem worried, to be honest specialist told me when I was a kid I'd never work, talk or read, I got laughed out of boxing gyms when I said I wanted to fight, they said with one hand. No way. Took me 10 years to get licenced. I left the sport unbeaten again fully abled opponents. I am usually strong when it comes to this stuff, but right now I feel vulnerable, can anyone give me reassurance that I will be able to work and provide for my family, will I be able to exercise and do things that I love.

2

Hi zac,

I am not sure what you expect to hear from fellow sufferers.

I have c/s at levels c4 5 6 7 with bone spurs compressing the spinal cord throughout cervical spine. Over the last 6 years the problems are progressing. No upper body strength, massive muscle loss of forearms, biceps and triceps shrank away. Now I have bladder and leg problems. Hopefully yours will get sorted and you will be okay, your young. I was 61 when my problems began,fell off a ladder and hit my head against a brick wall.

Up until then I was very strong and confident, up and down ladders and scaffolding all day while decorating and maintenance work. Now I can walk only with a cane, probably two before long, and I feel very vulnerable.

Good luck to you,

Mike.

3

That's Cs myelopathy if it's affecting your spinal cord.

thanks for your story.

4

Just to note everyone, if it's negative then please post it elsewhere because that's not what this post is about, I want to hear about positive outcomes, I don't believe it's all negative.

5

Hi Zac,

I'm 49 and have had these neck issues for 31 years. I have CS with stenosis on my left side with mild narrowing. I have mild scoliosison top of it.

After 31 years with this it's impossible for me to detail all the ups and downs of this condition, so forgive me if my story is a little jumbled and disjointed and feel free to ask me more pointed questions if you wish. I can't cover everything

Don't despair you're going to be alright.

My neck felt worse at your age than yours does and my life is pretty good. After my injury I could never even consider boxing but I have trained, mountain biked (hard), surfed and been able to do most anything I want except contact sports for all these years. I've slowed down a little bit but I feel it's mostly because my condition wasn't managed properly from the very beginning 

My problems began at 18 with a neck injury (really severe neck sprain) that never really got better and eventually developed into CS with stenosis. I never got the right treatment at the beggining and got "addicted" to chiropractic. There was no internet so it was really difficult to try to get information and help myself for many years so you're lucky you have access to a lot more than I did.

I spent too many years being p****d off and felt ripped off, but I was really young and people don't understand how someone that age could feel like I did. So after awhile I just kept my mouth shut and suffered in silence and just did the best I could.

You seem like a really resilient guy and should do fine

In retrospect, had I restrengthened my deep neck flexors and stabilized my scapulas I may have avoided years of frustration and discomfort and I would recommend the same to you. Also keep your midback muscles strong and flexible and lengthen as well as lengthening your scalenes in the front of your neck.

It's important to keep the small stabilizing muscles strong and doing these types of excercises is boring and doesn't feel like it's doing anything, but they are.

Don't allow a forward neck posture to develope, especially since it looks like you're going to be behind a desk a lot

After 30 years I have isses but there's the good with the bad. I have "flare ups" from time to time for all 30 years always thinking that this is the one that's never going to end.

It always does.

I can understand your anxiety and these forums can cause excessive stress at times but this condition is very different for each person I've noticed but they're also the only people who really understand.

I just got back from a road trip in the North West U.S. and mountain biked every day! Doing those excercises for over a year got me active again when I thought I would never do these things again. I work out though not quite as hard as I used too, but considering that this wasn't treated properly from the beggining I'm thankful I can do what I can do.

Sitting for too long has always been the worst for me. I'm better off when I'm up and moving around.

I certainley could and will never box, so feel fortunate.

Your condition doesn't have to progress much if at all. I'm trying to keep my condition were it's at now for as long as I can by working on it almost every day

Anyway, I could go on forever and I'm not a good writer so if you have any questions feel free to ask

6

What a great story, I'm so glad you have posted your story. This will help so many people. I private messaged you, if I could get your email address that would be great

7

Hi zac what you got is in fact progresive how quick will depend on

How much you abuse it ,

To get a balance you you need to hear both sides be careful you

Don't end up in a wheel chair early

Take it easy man