Question
My dad is a C4/C5 incomplete quad now for 5 years. A couple months ago he started getting extreme pain in his arms. His doctor has given him crazy pain killers like Oxy, Methodone, Dilladud, which knock him out but are not touching the pain. Do you have any suggestions? He is at his wits end and in extreme pain.

Answer
First, I would suggest that the physicians do a scan of his neck to rule out any secondary problems such as a syrinx that can cause the pain.  I say this because the pain is a new change in his condition.

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 in the spinal cord 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 your father but unfortunately, I have no solutions for the pain.  His physician can work with a variety of drugs to help.  One that works for many people with nerve pain is called Neurontin.  He should ask his doctor about trying that drug for the pain.

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