Cervical Spondylosis

[Neckdespair]

Hi neckdespair
Don't know what happened with my reply post (very unprofessional). Hope you can still read it.

Gerry

Thankyou Gerry for your post.
Here is my story:
In my first experiences of CS I was for years treated almost with contempt by doctors and neurologists and given useless treatment by physios who simply did not know what to do - a big hole in the textbook training.
When I have a flare-up, which as I say I have not until now had for a number of years, I have always had the same symptoms. I list them here and they seem to progress however much I try to control them. I don' necessarily have all these symptoms at the same time but they all add up to the same thing: being in a rotten state for months with no feeling of respite.
Dizziness
Double vision
Headaches
Stiff neck
Hot feeling around neck vertebra
Pain in left shoulder
Shaky arms and legs
Searing pain radiating from neck
General feeling of 'flu-like malaise
Feeling sick, sometimes wanting to throw up
Feeling that my head is holding up a ton weight
Hot and cold flushing
Prickling feeling up the side of my face and around my left eye
Tingling in left thumb and fingers
Palpitations
Inability to concentrate and feeling exhausted talking
On rare occasions falling over when turning my head

I have had about six of these experiences in the last thirty years, lasting from between four months to 14 months.
I know that these are the classic symptoms of my flares. No doctor can ever tell me they are not real.
What makes me angry is the fact that so many people out there are sent away with no support. One of the most difficult things to deal with is the complete feeling of despair. Friends desert you and family lose patience. In a bad flare normal life is wrecked and your social life is non- existent. It is easy to end up down the route of darkness and depression. Support is absolutely imperative.
I wish that someone in the medical profession would read this and feel passionate enough to shout about it.
Tap in cervical spondylosis and you will be taken to dozens of spinal surgery clinics. This is NOT what we want at all. I know. Iam a real sufferer with real experience.
There is practically no research done on this subject and the statistics leave out the thousands of mis-diagnosed sufferers whohave been labelled lingerers, hysterics and time-wasters like me. And get this straight, CS is not simply an 'age' thing, very many people experience their first symptoms in their 30's just as I did. I remain convinced that mine was the result of a bad caraccident in my 20's.
Before I stupidly decided to paint some shelves last week I had been fairly symptom free (it lurks!) for 8 years. On that occasion I had a superb physio who helped me to overcome most of my horrible symptoms in a three month period of weekly treatment. He was very familiar with the condition and knew exactly what was needed. This is of course my own personal experience and others may find different treatments that ease the symptoms.
I caution the use of physios, chiropractors and osteopaths who do not understand CS. More damage can be done with the wrong treatment and it is essential to find the right person.
The big question is WHERE? Why on earth is there not a support group or specialist centre for this frightening and debilitating condition?
This message should be red-flagged to every GP, neurologist and orthopaedic clinic in the country. NOW.