Question
Eight years ago I had neck surgery c4/5 5/6 they were herniated, I had screws put in, I know I have arthritis, but I have started having problems again. Ex-rays show that there is a narrowing at c4/5 & 5/6, I am to have an MRI next week, the doctor said that my hardware is fine. So what does this mean? Is this just something that happens or have I some how messed my neck up again?

Answer

Lawrence Gold Somatics  

Hanna Somatic Educatio   Hi, Kay,

It means that the surgery addressed only part of the problem -- the after effects, not the cause.

Arthritis in the neck isn't a disease from external causes; it comes from tight neck muscles causing overcompression of the neck vertebrae, narrowing and disc herniation -- and that can't be addressed by surgery.

So, you didn't "mess your neck up, again" and it isn't something that "just happened"; it's that the underlying problem was never handled.

I've written on neck conditions:
http://somatics.com/whiplash.htm

related:
http://somatics.com/back_pain_terms.htm