Hi everyone. I am a 63 year old female and I have CS with which I get pain travelling up the back of my head. I have had the condition for about 2 years now.
I work in a well known high street store and have always worked on clothing, when I developed CS I managed quite well at work, It didn't really make a lot of difference. However I have recently been moved to the cafe which is about a 10 times heavier job. I am walking around all day (sometimes 8 hours) carrying trays of dishes or food or carrying piles of plates and cups. Since being in there I have felt a big difference to the pain and stiffness in my neck. Do you think this is just a natural degeneration or is it my job that is making it worse?
I believe its the job and have been asking my manager to refer me to occupational health but she is keep putting it off. I have also developed pain in my hips since being in there and find that by the end of my shift I can hardly walk some days. They are trying to get us "oldies" to retire I think but I'm not ready to so why should I be put in this position.
Sorry for the rant! lol
Hello Kats I have just retired after 30 yrs with this so called Retail store u are talking about , I am sure its the same one and yes thats why I went cos of this ageism thing.Stay and fight it out, say if u wanted to work in thecafe you would have applied for it. I personally think that it will put stress in your neck u must go see your Doctor and tell him, once u have a Doctors report there is nothing they can do , cant sack
you, they are just bullies. good Luck ...I have just had pain injections on Thursday and I am waiting to see if there is any improvement
Hi Lamamma8 Yes it probably is the same place, its a disgrace the way they are treating people. They moved one poor lady into the cafe who is epileptic and has one or two seizures every week! Can you imagine if she had one in there while carrying hot food? Occupational health had her brought out of there immediately....but they replaced her with a lady who has worked for them for 43 years and has bad arthritis in her knee.....unbelievable!
I have a drs letter in for my Spondylosis and am in the process of getting one for my hip....£25 a letter though is not cheap!
I hope your pain injectiion gives you some relief, let me know how you get on. How long have you had this condition?ad physio for a couple of months but that has ended now although I still do the stretching exercises, they seem to help but when I get a flare up (mainly after work) they don't help much.
Must go now and try to get some sleep, thats another problem isn't it....trying to find a decent pillow! lol
Take care
Jen x
I h
hi Kats....... mm me thinks you should not be carrying anything heavy, i had no idea i had cs until i went for a private referral & a private mri scan. The specialist is going to do a fusion to stop any future deterioration......... i just have tingling in the rt small fingers, and some clumbsiness ........... so pleased i went to a neurosurgeon.Thankfully my retail store is good - cannot name it obviously but they do your after their people.
Hope all goes well for you
Well i hope you havnt got the same company as Kats, we think we were the same I have just left after 30 yrs the way they treat staff. I told her not to be carrying anything heavy.. I might ask about fusion !! Do u get pins and needles down one side of your face and dizzy spells ?? I have just had Injections but hasnt made any difference...
Hi Lamamma...... i just get a very slight tingle in the two small fingers of the right hand, very very slight numbness in the hand, BUT if i relax. i do not know either is there. That apart very sligt clumbsiness/ when moving a hand, managed to break two cheapo wine glasses with hand movement, and when i sometime put say a fork on the work top I miss. all part of the CS.
As mine is compressing the spine - specialist says it has to be doen to halt any deteriration that could occur later. not looking forward to it but it's going to save me much aggro later.......
I went private to get the diagnosis as it would have taken ages the normal way,
( went for sciatica pain... ( stenosis it actually is ) that will be done later!!!
Well I Hope all goes well for you, luckily my spine ok, just severe neck pain, back to Consultant in December to see result of injections, well there was no result just no change. Never mind we dont know unless we try, Good Luck to you for the future and I hope u get some relief.. Regards Rosemary.
Hi kats
been a while since our last posts and wondering how you are getting on? Are you still working? Hope you are feeling better did you get the results of your scan it was a scan you were getting? Have you been back to your caravan anymore i bet you could do with it as it has been to hot to work in the cafe!! (if you still work in there) hope not!!! all these questions!!! lol I have good and bad days as usual
just lately more bad days did you get refered to occupational health? well i think i have asked plenty of questions to keep you going for now LOL and hope to hear from you soon and that you are feeling better so take care love jeanette xx
Hi Jeanette, I'd have a question for you if you don't mind. I read in your posts that you are using opioid analgesics. Could you please tell me/us since how long are you taking them? From my knowledge there seem to be two large classes of them: a lighter version, like codeine and a stronger one like morphine. It seems they are pretty safe for long-term use, but don't actually know anyone who actually used them.
Hi michael_b
I have been on morphine for about 5yrs but before that i was on codine phosphate and a smaller dose of morphine but now on high one and also on oramorph (liquid morphine)when and if needed!!but that is 3 times a day and if i need it inbetweenas well as the morphine i am pregabaline high dose twice a day!! cant take the codine now as it upsets ulcer!!!! but i have also tried the facet injections in hips they didnt work. specalist said on morphine for the duration.Pain is always there never known anything else really had pain since i was ten (59 now)!!!! had operation on back and itnever went away (pain) when i woke up after wards.but as i say it is part of me cant do anything about it a lot of years ago i was in a dark place but now life is for living and there is always someone worse off then yourself i know it might not seem like it some days but there is!Anyway enough of me rambling on how are you managing your pain? I hope you have found some relief from it even for a short while?there again i hope it is not that bad? I also self medicate with shop bought pain killers.(anadin liquitabs) for the neck pain. really been taking pain killers all my life not so much when younger because your pain threshold is higher i have said in my posts i have never let it stop me from doing things when i was young all the things kids do climb walk and things i should "nt 
i loved nothing better than to walk we used to gocamping when the children were little still do but more so in a caravan now (age)!! I do hopeyou find the right pan killer as it will help you.what are you taking if anything for your pain? well sorry to have rambled on.but i hope i have answered your question
Hello Jeannette, thanks for your answer. Do you remember what was the dose of codeine you took? Or weather it stayed constant troughout time or had to be increased?
I'm evaluating the option of using some opioids myself, tried 30mg of codeine + paracetamol but had the same effect as taking Skittles. I probably need a higher dose to feel some effect, that's why I'm interested in your experience with this medication.
Hi michael-b
It has been a while since i heard from you so i hope this finds you better than your last post? Had word from my consultant he is upping my morphine again 
but like the other drugs i am taking it will probably not make much difference!!! It will be awfull starting it until i get used to the higher dose.(makes me go really dizzy)I am dizzy all the time. as it is but not looking forward to it but you do what you have to do dont you. You
will try anything to ease the pain!! More morphine more pain killers.I wake every day and just wish today i might be pain free but i am not! Well no good dwelling on it i have had my little bit of moan and i will say take care and hope to read your next post soon
jeanette