operating on C3

[Pompal 09.]

A client of mine recently told me that she once had had four herniated discs (!!!) after a (BIG) accident, including btw C3 and C4; the doctors wanted to fuse but did not want to fuse up to C3 because they said operating on C3 was generally dangerous. Does anyone know what's special about operating on C3?

(My client refused fusion and is doing quite well!)

 

[Rossonero NorCal SFECU]

operating on C3

A client of mine recently told me that she once had had four herniated discs (!!!) after a (BIG) accident, including btw C3 and C4; the doctors wanted to fuse but did not want to fuse up to C3 because they said operating on C3 was generally dangerous. Does anyone know what's special about operating on C3?

(My client refused fusion and is doing quite well!)

As you know, there is a lot going on in the cervical area around C3 and C4: Scalenes, Splenius Cervicis, Rotatores, Multifidi, Spinalis Cervicis, Longissimus cervicis to name a few and then all course that would affect all the other muscles above and below as they would have to compensate.

What specifically do you mean what is 'special' about it? I'm not trying to be snarky :altwink:

Glad she is doing well without the surgery! Does her Dr. have any special instructions regarding massage beyond no stretching or traction of the head as well as letting your client move her head through ROM on her own?

 

[looby]

operating on C3

Hi, I'm sorry, I didn't see that you had responded! You know, rereading this I realized it might have made a little more sense if I had explained that my client had come twice for a quick chair massage and our intake there was very swift (and she had no complaints!); when she came for her first table massage I got the whole story. I did avoid these movements except that I did do a gentle upper trap stretch after she said she stretches quite a bit. Should I tell her not to? She says it helps. I was especially nervous when she told me her favorite stretch, in which she puts her hands behind her head and brings her head all the way down toward her chest, flattening the cervical curve. Wouldn't that be high risk? I suggested she avoid it but she loves it! Do you think she can go with her instinct on this, so long as she understand the anatomy? She has a job that's both desk work and extremely adrenaline-based action, and her neck muscles have all of that edge-of-your-seat tension in them, on top of whatever healthy, necessary splinting might be going on.

What I meant by "what's special about C-3" is just why were the doctors willing to operate and fuse below it but not to it? It must have to do with the cervical plexus--or maybe it's the combination of nerves and muscles that's there. It's just that neck surgery already seems sooo complicated and sometimes risky that I was surprised at the time that there was a limit--but now that seems silly--of course there would be a limit!!

I didn't think you were being snarky, but you can be snarky .

Thanks for your reply!! Sorry I missed it!

 

[Terri]

operating on C3

She should definitely be speaking with her ortho dr. regarding the types of stretches she should/could be doing.

Gentle stretching to the upper traps seems innocuous, but again, I wouldn't assume anything with a person having this condition. She can do as she likes for herself of course, but I would caution her to follow her Dr.s orders.

I would spend time working the areas that surround C3 that give people under stress a typically hard time such as:
Splenius Capitis - sounds like she is trying to stretch this anyway with that crazy stretch of hers
Slenius cervicis - check the lower fibers and check also for trigger points in this muscle
Cervical multifidi - trigger points in these refer to back of neck pain just inferior to the occiput and radiates down toward the scapula (upper medial border).

Warming the area first with hot packs might make the work easier as well.

Good luck! Let us know how things progress!

 

[rebbyshy1]

operating on C3

Not only will could your client become paralyzed from the neck down from a botched surgery at C3 but C3 actually helps to stabalise the axis and basically secures the upper cervical spine.

Just because a stretch may feel good, doesn't mean she should continue with it. There's a lot of things we do to ourselves because we "think" they feel good but in reality they are actually making things worse. You might want to suggest she mention to whomever is working with her on that about her stretching habit, she may even be making things worse. You're spot on about thinking that her cervical muscles are doing some healthy splinting. Those areas might not need or want to be "loosened" up. How much of her anatomy can she understand, does she have any understanding of her neural anatomy? Probably not if she didn't realize the importance of C3.

Depending on the details of her accident that created the herniation, you might not want to even work on the posterior neck, but check out the anterior and lateral neck and also the shoulders, mid-back and hips. However, you did mention the accident was a while ago? And she may not even have herniated discs anymore if she hasn't had any xrays since then (if it was truly many years ago!) Herniated discs can self correct over a couple years.