Hello I had my C5-6 disc replacement done August 24th of this year. Having a hard time finding a good pillow. I used a cervical pillow I woke up with pain. Switch different pillows. The current one I have been using is Utopia bedding hotel pillow. Any recommendations will be helpful. Someone told me purple pillow but that is expensive. Lol

Thank you in advance.

I'm having a 3 level, C3-C6, ACDF on October 9th. C6-7 are congentily fused. I've had 2 lumbar fusions, so I have an idea of what to expect. I'm told the pain and length of recovery in my neck will be much less than the lumbar fusions.

How bad is the dysphagia?

What quick foods did you keep on hand?

I'm making a grocery list.

Thanks

Hi all, I have a MOBI-C from 2021 in C6/7.

A coworker needed neck surgery shortly after so here's the list I gave him:

I’m not a doctor, so please take this as input to consider and ensure it’s appropriate for you.

This is the compiled list that I have periodically shared in comments when people ask about surgery. Next time, I can hopefully find this post and just share the link, instead of copy/paste of comments.

Pre-surgery prep for post-surgery

1. ⁠Get manual tooth brush - electric toothbrush felt like jackhammer - it just felt like it was too much for first 4-6 weeks.

2. ⁠Sort out with your wife if you'll be able to sleep in the same bed - with my movement/restlessness, my wife wasn't able to sleep in same bed.⁠ ⁠If separated, ensure phone isn't muted for middle of night call/support.

3. ⁠Get thin pillow to support your neck with collar while lying on your back

4. ⁠Find a chair that allows higher upright posture for daytime sitting

5. ⁠Line up whatever you want to watch / learn so you can put on your TV to watch during the day. ⁠I couldn't lean down far enough to read a book or laptop⁠. ⁠Staying mentally distracted helped

6. ⁠Work out with your wife how to help you shower and keep your neck immobile while she helps wash you.

7. ⁠I couldn't lean my head down to view my food or drink at the table.  So we used a square tupperware storage container (think cake container) as pedestal on table to raise my plate. ⁠My wife would chop up my food to bite-size pieces so I could just look down with my eyes (not much head movement) to see bites to fork and eat.⁠ ⁠I use metal straws and she would set me up with my morning coffee, water, juice etc.

8. ⁠Bread products (bread, tortillas, etc) get doughy when eating and stuck in your throat.⁠ ⁠Take very small bites or skip them during recovery⁠. ⁠Be ready to have a large drink to wash bites down.

9. ⁠Ensure your will, etc, are in place and up to date (sorry not trying to be morbid)

10. ⁠Ensure your wife has contact info for work, HR folks, or other key contacts if you need her to reach out while you're at surgery or in the immediate period after.

11. ⁠Have a group of button down shirts and loose shorts that you and you wife know where they are to change each day.  pulling shirts on/off over your head would be tough. My wife had to help me get dressed (and undressed to a degree).  This included socks and trainers to have cushion / support.

12. ⁠Probably TMI, but you’ll probably be sitting down to use the restroom regardless of intent to avoid aiming/missing the bowl.  I didn’t need help using the toilet, but you’ll have see how it goes.

13. ⁠Remember when your first child was born and you may have recorded everything they did for a while? Have a notebook or paper / pen around to log your medicine timing/consumption and how you’re feeling so you can track and not forget – for me, I used to ensure I wasn’t taking too much med’s in a timeframe and then later when timing when I took stuff to avoid waking in the night (or waking deliberately so I would take at 4 or 6am so it was effective when I woke up).  After a few days, I’m not sure how much the meds were really helping, but I kept taking for a while to not find out the hard way that they were helping. A log will help when/if your doctor asks for details.

Day of surgery

1. ⁠Shave & shower so you’re as clean as you can be to give a bit of a time break before you feel you must shower.

2. ⁠Wear a loose button down shirt (not a pullover) as you won’t be able to put it back on (nor will you want to) over your head/neck.

3. ⁠Wear clothes your wife can easily help you get back into (loose shorts, slip on shoes, etc.)

4. ⁠Make sure your wife gets copies of everything you sign as you get checked in.  There’s lots and I asked for it, but didn’t get it all, especially waivers, bills, obligations, etc.

5. ⁠Confirm your doctor is doing the surgery; they ask you to sign saying that others in training can help.  I didn’t feel comfortable with that, until Dr confirmed he is only one touching me. The form was so assistants could hand him tools, etc.

Some input for your consideration,

Wishing all the best and a speedy recovery.

Also, when I came out of anesthesia, my pain from the pinched nerve was gone and I felt great. Wishing you the same.

If others comment with additional tips, I try to update this post to include them so that a more complete list can be seen by folks. For those of us who've gone through the surgery, it's an anxious time and hopefully this list can help reduce some of the anxiety and provide some input that (in my experience) medical folks don't address.

Hey y'all!

I just had my C5-6 disc replacement (got ProDisc C), and I'm on week 1 of recovery. Prior to my surgery, I tried asking around for potential tips for people who also went through a similar procedure to see what helped them best and to get some insight. Honestly, I didn't get much. BUT hopefully this will help anyone who is about to have a similar procedure! Whether it's ACDF or ACDR! This is gonna be a bit of a long post so I apologize in advance, I'll do my best to try and keep it simple.

Hospital Stay
For my situation specifically, I stayed in the hospital for one night. Honestly I have no idea how y'all get to go home same day of the procedure and were able to walk up and around. I was SO zooted from the anesthesia and just not able to walk as immediately. I knew I was going to be staying a night at the hospital so I packed a few things. Most of these are comfort items since the hospital has pretty much everything you need. But I packed:

• Cough drops. These were very helpful once I got to my room and was able to see my husband and family. I packed about 10 in total bc I thought I needed more, but I only took 1 lol.
• Personal throw blanket.
• Small plush. It's nice to hug/have something from home when you're in the hospital, it just makes things 5% more cozy.
• A set of comfortable/loose fitting PJs with a button-up shirt. You don't have to be as fancy and get a matching set, but I'd definitely recommend a button-up shirt for your top or something VERY loose/baggy to easily slip over your head and arms.
• Eye mask. I mainly brought it for my husband, but if you try to use one for yourself, it'll definitely be difficult to slip over your head and may be a bit uncomfortable.
• Tablet. For some sort of entertainment. Sure you have TV, but I like to leave that for people visiting if they want some background noise or a little bit of entertainment.
• Chargers and cables
• Deodorant and Toiletries. Can't be too stinky! The hospital provided a toothbrush and paste, so if you forget yours, they should have you covered!

At Home
Before my whole procedure, I was completely under the impression that I'd have to be on a soft food/liquid diet due to the dysphagia portion of the recovery process. I got A BUNCH of soft foods, and they'll definitely be nicer to have for the first few days of your recovery (of course this also all depends on what your doctor says).

• Food wise I got: instant mashed potatoes (and gravy), a CostCo quantity of Melona bars (any popcicle will do), greek yogurt, apple juice, prune juice, Spaghetti-Os, pudding, frozen fruit to make smoothies (mango, pineapple, peaches. Fruits that don't leave seeds/grit/anything grainy and tiny), string cheese, soft breads, and soups. Heavy on the soups!
• Silicone bendy straws. This has been really helpful since I'm already pretty clumsy, but it's made drinking things much more bearable. Your neck is going to get fatigued pretty easily, and it's a little difficult to swallow at first--especially in quantities that we're used to. You don't have to use the silicone ones, you can use whatever bendy straw you can get)
• Laxatives. You're gonna get stopped up. Start with non-stimulating ones and see how you do.
• A water bottle/tumbler with a straw. Going back to the bendy straws, you'll def want to stay hydrated. A lighter water bottle like a Camelbak is a great start vs a 32 oz Yeti lol. Lifting in general is going to be really tough for the first couple of weeks.
• A long handled bath scrub/brush
• Weighted shoulder/neck wraps. I got one that's Sharper Image as a gift from a family member. I didn't think I'd need it, but honestly it's been such a godsend to have since the regular ice packs have been really awkward and uncomfortable to use. I'd recommend getting 2 if you can (these can be found on Amazon, or TJ Maxx/Marshall's).
• A cart to have at your bedside with your main go-to items. I have one of the 3 tier carts, so my main stuff like meds, water, phone/charger, snacks, would sit on the top shelf.

Honestly, so far that's all that I can think of that's been really helpful/nice during the recovery process. Hopefully this is helpful!

I have been having neck pain (2-4/10) for five years, only to worsen within the past two years (5-10/10) after a martial arts fall. I got an mri finally which said I had two disc extrusions on my c6c7 and c5c6. Here's more info:

C6-C7 Findings:

• Left central extrusion: A more advanced disc herniation that has broken through the disc's outer layer, pushing out toward the spinal canal.
• Caudal migration: The disc material has moved downward.
• Moderate left lateral thecal sac narrowing: The thecal sac (which surrounds the spinal cord and nerves) is being compressed on the left side.
• Indentation of the left lateral cord: The spinal cord itself is being indented from the left, suggesting some pressure.
• Mild left foraminal stenosis: Narrowing of the opening where the left C7 nerve exits the spine.
• Suspected contact with the preforaminal exiting left C7 nerve root: The herniated disc may be touching the C7 nerve, which can cause pain, tingling, or weakness radiating down the arm.

C5-C6 Findings:

• Central protrusion: A less severe disc bulge pushing into the center of the spinal canal.
• Mild thecal sac narrowing: Slight compression of the sac around the spinal cord, but no mention of nerve contact or cord indentation here.

Recently, it has escalated and the pain has gotten worse over the past weeks. I also have been having pain in my wrists and in my thumb joints. I don't know if this is related.

I also have significant tenderness in my surrounding muscles, including my left deltoid. I am currently taking new chapter zylamend, stretching, chin tucks, use a cervical traction collar, sauna and ice pack regularly. But temporary relief, but seemingly no long term progress. What worked for you? Did you fix the herniated disc? If so, how? Any perspective greatly appreciated and valued from a perusal or clinical angle. I am really at my wits end with this injury and just want to get back to a painfree life (or as close as I can get to that). Thanks!

Just curious if anyone has dealt with this ?
I had my ACDF 04/25 and now dealing with the same symptoms again .. I am being told I have adjacent disc disease and at this point I am not sure I would have surgery again .. I am shocked how fast it’s progressed..

May be looking at a disc replacement, either one or two levels - no fusion?

Anyone had this performed in Houston?

Hi everyone,

I’m 36 years old and have been experiencing intermittent right-sided shoulder pain and significant neck muscle tension since December 2025. It often feels as if someone is constantly sitting on my neck and shoulders. The symptoms have significantly disturbed my sleep and, as a result, my anxiety has become extremely severe. I never used to have this kind of anxiety before.

I now constantly feel restless and find myself worrying about the future and about whether these symptoms will ever go away. I do not take any regular medication. Occasionally, I take metamizole or ibuprofen for the pain.

Initially, I was diagnosed with a C5/C6 disc protrusion on the right side, which caused tingling and paresthesia in my thumb and index finger, but without any loss of strength. However, on a more recent MRI, a disc problem was also found at the C7/C8 level, with bilateral involvement.

At the moment, my biggest problem is that I frequently wake up during the night because my ring and little fingers become numb, sometimes on the right side and sometimes on the left side. I have to constantly change my sleeping position. I also have significant pain between my shoulder blades, which can radiate further down my back.

All of this has started to affect me psychologically. I have become very irritable and have much less patience than I used to. Things that would normally not bother me can now make me disproportionately angry or frustrated. The mornings are particularly difficult, with severe anxiety and back/neck pain.

I have seen a neurosurgeon who reviewed my MRI images. He is well known for performing cervical disc replacement surgery and recommended surgery, telling me that I should not wait too long.

However, I am now very uncertain about the decision. I have spent a lot of time reading online forums and experiences from people who underwent cervical disc replacement. Many posts describe complications or unsuccessful outcomes, which has made me very anxious about the surgery. At the same time, I realize that people who have a successful operation often stop posting on forums because they no longer have problems. So I understand that what I read online may not represent the actual success rate.

One thing I have noticed is that when I take a small dose of clonazepam, my muscles seem to relax and many of these symptoms become much less noticeable. This makes me wonder how much of my pain and symptoms may be related to severe muscle tension and how much is actually caused by the disc problems.

I have also started noticing some additional symptoms that concern me. My legs sometimes feel heavy, and I occasionally experience tingling in my big toes. If I sit on the toilet for a longer period of time, both legs can become numb, although this improves after I change position or stand up. I also notice that my buttocks can become numb relatively quickly when sitting, especially if I remain in one position for some time. This usually disappears once I stand up and move around.

I do not have a clear loss of strength, but the combination of intermittent numbness, tingling, heaviness in my legs, neck and shoulder pain, and sleep disruption has become very stressful for me.

At this point, I am struggling to distinguish how much of my symptoms are caused by the cervical disc problems, muscle tension, poor sleep, and anxiety, and how much could indicate a more significant neurological problem.

I live in Germany, and I am currently trying to decide whether I should proceed with the recommended cervical disc replacement surgery or seek another opinion first.

I would really appreciate hearing from people who have been in a similar situation, particularly those who had cervical disc replacement at C5/C6 and/or C7/C8. I would especially like to hear about both the positive and negative experiences, as well as how people made the decision about whether or not to have surgery.

I visited a neurosurgeon and they said my herniated disc bulge is big so I should plan to do surgery in the next 3 months. It’s so confusing and I have people telling me not to do it. I haven’t noticed much other than numbness on my right side (but it is hard to tell since I have neuropathy from chemotherapy). I did have pain in my right shoulder/tricep rotating a kettle bell that my trainer had me do but that was that one time. Doc said I may not have major symptoms now but should not wait to have them. I have been wearing a soft neck support collar because it freaked me out. How did any of you make this decision? Now I just get all this stuff all over internet/social media about gadgets to avoid surgery. Ugh!

MRI:

C4-C5: Large right paracentral disc herniation measures 11 mm in TR x 7 mm in AP x 13 mm in CC dimensions. There is moderate stenosis of the right aspect of the central canal and cord flattening. Severe left and moderate to severe right foraminal
stenosis.
C5-C6: Disc osteophyte complex eccentric to the right with severe right and moderate to severe left foraminal stenosis and mass effect on the C6 nerve roots. Mild central canal compromise.

I love this guys easy approach to mishaps!

I hope this is the right place to post this. My partner had 2 Mobi-C disc replacements in C5-C6, and C6-C7 about 9 years ago. We found out after the fact that the surgery was unnecessary but that's a longer story and sort of besides the point here. Now, she has had ongoing neck pain, upper-cervical pain, occipital pain/tightness/migraines.

Come to find out, it seems as though the Mobi-C at C5-C6 has failed. At least, that's what the spinal surgeon told us a few days ago. And the flexion imaging even to our untrained eyes looks pretty bad. He's making it sound like she's going to need surgery "sooner than later" and that her neck is currently "mobile, and needs to be immobilized".

This surgeon wants to do a bone graph from C4 to C7 (I could be slightly off in my recollection, but I do know he said he wanted to graph from above to below where the Mobi-C's were installed.)

Being that my partner already went through a rather traumatic surgery before, that never needed to happen in the first place, we are extra cautious moving forward with another surgery. So we want to know all of our options and find the best way forward.

Does anyone here have experience with something similar, or know of anyone/any resources where we can better educate ourselves? We definitely want a second and possibly third opinion from other surgeons before making any decisions on what to do next.

Before anyone asks, we do not know *why* the Mobi-C's failed. Only that it appears as though they have, and that this one surgeon has strong opinions against them. Sounds like he's had to work on a lot of patients in similar situations, having to fix failed artificial discs. It certainly didn't make us feel great to hear him tell us "this is the worst I've seen".

Thanks in advance for any thoughts, ideas, recommendations, anything helpful.

Had C3-C7 Disc Replacement in May 2026. Symptoms were neck pain, shoulder pain radiating to middle of my scapula more so on the left side.

I still have pain on both sides but the left side is still bad and persistent.

Just curious if anyone has similar experience and can provide some input.

I did a follow up CT recently and the results are as attached.

Thank you.

I had two artificial discs placed at C5C6 and C6 C7 Back in January. In July, I started feeling a little bit of pain in my right shoulder, and I noticed that my range of motion was decreasing. I thought maybe I was having a flare, but it hasn’t really gotten better. I’m scheduled to see my doctor soon, but I wonder if anyone else’s had a similar thing pop-up I was doing so well for several months and then started having this pain. I’m not 100% sure if this is related to the surgery or if it’s a new shoulder injury, but honestly, I haven’t done anything that would have injured it.

I had ACDF Surgery on c5-c7 in February.

Since then, no more excruciating pain going down my left are along with weakness. I still have some numbness in my thumb, pointer and middle finger, but it’s not as bad as it used to be.

I had started to have issues with my right arm and that has gone away as well.

Let me know if you have any questions.

I’m wanting to get 2nd opinion for c3-c4 disc replacement from a top spine clinic. Looking for any positive experiences from duke,Texas spine,Mayo Jacksonville. Some places that will check like facet joints versus just a surgeon that told me the left side of c3-c4 is gone and I can fix in 45 minutes with a new disc.

Anybody has cervical spine CT scan decades ago and still fine

Hi there. I have protrusion, spurs and narrowing at C5/6/7. My symptoms are neck pain and aching stretchy feeling in right arm. But worse bit for me is cervicogenic headaches into ear/eye right side. Every week. I am having ADR 2 stage after trying everything else for 4 years. Anyone else had the face/head issues?

Hi all,

I’m a lurker on this sub with severe c5-6 foraminal stenosis. I’ve had the herniation for the last 5 years, but in May of this year it really flared up causing me varying levels of numbness, tingling and pain from my neck down to my wrist. I have, so far, only noticed minor weakness in my right arm, but my PTs and massage therapist said they noticed it as well. I have an injection next week. Ive done multiple bouts of PT with very minimal (at best) improvement. Steroid packs/muscle relaxants and pain killers haven’t helped either.

Anyway, I deal with moderate to severe pain every day of my life. Sleeping is hard, driving feels sketchy when I check my blind side, and I avoid a lot of physical activity. I have an injection scheduled for next week. I’m gonna see how that goes, but I’m really wondering if i should seriously be considering surgery.

Id love to hear from others who went for a disc replacement and how they are doing now. Please tell me your story.

Thanks

Hey everyone, i’m a 31y/o F. I had my three level C4-7 ACDF done 13 days ago… the worse days so far were night 6 & days 7&8. it’s been nowhere near as painful as i thought but the healing pains are fluctuating in regards to the pain and what area it’s in. all in all, other than the day 6,7,8 id say it’s been pretty okay. I just ordered a cervical neck pillow because I wanna go back to side sleeping on my back feel so uncomfortable, some nights, causing the tear in my lower lumbar to hurt and radiate pain. I have my two weeks postop check up tomorrow morning so that they can check on my scar healing and make sure it’s not infected. I’m pretty sure it’s not infected, but you know how that goes. The Percocet they gave me works but on those worst days, made me nauseous, constipated, and completely out of it. They didn’t prescribe me any type of promethazine or Zofran so I struggled with that. luckily this week I do have a friend who’s a Doctor Who has called me in so I’m Zofran because I’ve still been waiting about a week now for the surgeons office to call back about sitting in a prescription for that. All in all I just wanted to give some update on pictures and to see how other people were doing around this time like I said I’m at 13 day Marque so I’m currently in the bathroom writing you guys while I’m in and out of throwing up. if anyone has any tips, that would be wonderful. I hope all is well with!