I also just had cerebral angiogram. Procedure went fine, it my right leg is very black and blue and hurts a bit. Never saw Dr who did it, just support staf
Sorry to hear this, did your ES surgeon discuss the possibility of soft tissue moving around due to empty space left from removing styloid? What kind of pain is this soft tissue causing?
The surgeon didnât mention anything about it, as far as I remember. When I saw him earlier this year, he mentioned the possibility of it being scar tissue. But the neurologist I saw recently, in reviewing my recent CT scans, said it was soft tissue and thought it might be a muscle pressing on the jugular. I have some neck pain, more a soreness that I have assumed is from being tensed up all the time from my 24/7 headache, which lately has mostly been an 8 on the pain scale. I hope the PT office contacts me soon to let me know if they can help me with either physical or occupational therapy, whatever is appropriate. I submitted a request early last week, asking for an appointment.
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Glad that it went okay, take it easy, & hope it shows whatâs going on so you can have surgery soon. God Bless.
Susie,
Since itâs been 5+ years since your first ES surgery, have you had a new CT scan to check the length of your remaining styloid? There is a good chance, as you mentioned, your headaches could be caused by your remaining styloid especially since you had bilateral elongation. Iâm sure there is some adjustment that occurs w/ the soft tissues in our necks once the styloids are removed, but I think it there is a greater likelihood of it being caused by excess scar tissue from the first surgery or the remaining styloid causing your current symptoms.
Yes, I had a CT in May, and it shows compression on both sides. My surgeon says you only need good flow on one side. Since I went 5+ years with no problems after the first surgery, it seems like if I can get good flow back on the surgery side, I could avoid surgery on the other side. My neurologist was concerned if I have surgery on the other side the same thing might happen again 5 years down the road. I told him it would be worth having the surgery to get relief from this headache for 5 years. But my first preference would be to avoid surgery. I am trying to get an appointment with the surgeon in case thatâs the route I need to take. If itâs scar tissue and not muscle on the surgery side causing the problem, and PT wonât resolve it, I am wondering if there is a way to avoid the same problem if I have surgery on the other side.
Our bodies are not perfectly symmetrical so there is a reasonable chance that you would not have the same recurrence on the second side, but I do agree, trying a non-surgical route first is an excellent idea. If PT helps, that would be a fantastic & non-invasive solution!
Snapple2020 posted info about a specialized MRI scan that can show excessive scar tissue. Before starting PT it would be worth pursuing a scan that could give a more clear picture of whatâs going on.
Hereâs the link about the scan - https://www.practicalpainmanagement.com/meeting-summary/mr-neurography-crps-assessment
Thanks! I will ask about getting that imaging. It would be good to know for sure what exactly is pressing on my jugular.