The facet injections made me worse, but the ablation injections took my pain right into the stratosphere. So mine went very wrong. It sounds like yours is much better and may even work. I was told healing time is usually 10 days to 2 weeks, but some take longer, up to a month. It's very much expected that at first you will feel increased pain and pretty badly, so that part isn't unusual at all. But it also sounds like you are feeling better and better, this is how it is supposed to go. How are you feeling now that it's been about 2 weeks? Wishing you good luck and that you will continue to heal until you are pain free!

Thanks, Donna Jay! I hope you finally found relief. If you did, what did it?

For the most part I've had typical pain, dull ache, spasm, etc., at typical levels other than the occasional bad spasm day here and there. Yesterday, however (right about 2wk mark) took me to a new level of pain. I got the scalp burn he warned me about. Actually, it was more like someone was pulling my hair out or holding me by the pony tail, not that I'm able to wear ponytails lately. I guess its strange, but I feel a little more at ease to know I'm experiencing more of what I was told I would- even if it is pain. Strange.
I've discovered what many have suggested before... ICE! Wow, is that my new best friend. Heat was always more appealing, but I had ice on my neck and head for most of the evening and it really helped. The meds seem useless, so I'll stick with Ice, TENS, massage, heat, rest, & exercise.

Follow up is today. I was going to ask about our next move if this wasn't working normally (my fear is giving up on fixing this) but it seems like my reactions are 'normal' now. He did say it might be up to 6 weeks, which seems a bit longer than what I've read about here. I don't know if that was b/c it was my case- he keeps mentioning 'chronic' and said I may have a harder time since I went so long with no treatment.
Has anyone had side effects for longer than the typical two weeks?

I'm glad the ice is working for you and curious to hear how your follow up visit went. I was thinking that your doctor might have had a patient or two who continued to heal and feel even better up to six weeks out and that might be why he said that. He knows from experience! It is weird how those injections are supposed to work compared to many other treatments using injections since they are damaging the nerves in order to fix you up. They use a lazer to put a lesion on the nerve that will eventually block pain impulses if all goes well. I think since we all heal differently for some of us that lesion is cleared up in a few days for others it takes weeks. I hope you are doing great by now and looking forward to many pain free days!

GOOD: So almost 8 weeks post cervical ablation, I'm feeling ALOT of relief. Most of the relief is in the neck area. My head (occipital?) has also been relieved to a certain extent. About a month ago, I started to feel the relief, slowly. Then I'd wake up and not feel 'it'-that presence that isn't quite excruciating yet, its just sort of a dull pain sitting on my neck. That part was gone and I hadn't felt that absence in so long!

NOT GOOD: About a week and a half ago, I did feel very slight tenderness in my neck/shoulder. No biggie, minor aches can come and go I suppose, but the headaches that have come back are not minor. They are very deep, long, extreme headaches. They are very much like migraines, but coming from that same Occipital area I thought we took care of. Starts there, then to ear, eye, a little down around neck and can cause alot of nausea too. Can last for a couple of days with NO relief. Meds are a joke- of course, I've only got the Excedrin, Ultram, Darvocet & they don't really work. Ice, sleep and darkness work best.

CONFUSING: At my recent 2nd followup after ablation, I tell my Dr how happy I am to have the relief, but these headaches have been very unmanageable at times. He asked if they were migraines, and I said they are much like them, but these come from that back side that we treated. He mentioned that this could be a number of things, even hormonal. My issue is I've had migraines before and this is just as horrible, but it is different and feels very connected to that hot spot. If the nerve there was blocked or burned off, how could this be going on? Did we miss something? I get the feeling that my Dr thinks I don't know what I'm talking about.

Has anyone had Occipital or cervical headaches after ablation? I thought it could take up to a year for the nerves to 'wake up' and cause trouble again?

It actually sounds more like a muscular headache brought on by the irritation to the area. Depending on how much he ablated and exactly where, you should have a certain amount of scalp sensation loss. That is if he actually targeted the occipital nerves. There are basically two occipital nerves and from the description of your headache it just doesn't fit the norm for reaction to the ablation. At least that's my experience with this. I've had several occipital ablations, both lesser and greater occipital.

As far as the issue resulting from it being considered chronic, sorry but I had to chuckle to myself on that one. I didn't get an ablation until nearly 20 years after the onset of the problem. I still reacted the same way that most everyone else has or does. If it works it is great, if it doesn't then it is nightmarish.

Some docs will tell you that your relief should be quick, and others will tell you it takes a while. The nerve has to respond basically to the insult it was given. There's no real time table for how the nerve will react as well as there's no real time table as to how long the relief will last.

Are you taking any medications for neuropathy? For nearly 10 years my occipital headaches were controlled by anti-seizure meds. The first one I was started on was Tegretol and then Neurontin was added to the mix. These worked very well for controlling the pain. Are you under the care of anyone other than the pain management doc? Are you seeing a neurologist?

"C"

...your experience! Yeah, the chronic thing sort of surprised me too. I wasn't aware of a shelf life on these things, but he explained pain cycles and the memory of nerves and it sounded okay. Hey, I've heard stranger things.

First question- what did you mean by "from the description of your headache it just doesn't fit the norm for reaction to the ablation"? Meaning my type of headache isn't Occipital related and wouldn't be helped by ablation or my type of headache should've been helped by ablation but it wasn't?
I've had migraines before but these that started after the accident seem to stem around that bulge behind ear, closer to the neck and fan out. I know when I have a headache, tension headache, sinus headache, menstral related headache, and THIS. Sometimes its like my eyball is being pulled on from the inside of my head. Sometimes the tender muscle over my ear throbs. My jaw near my ear hurts. Sometimes it all throbs or there is stabbing. Sometimes it feels 'deeper' than other times (like now) Sometimes there is nausea. So there is some range, but I know it is all from the same place. 98% of the time ALL on right side. IF its on both, very minor to the left side and not at all 'fanned out'.

I am unaware of any meds for neuropathy, but I'm very willing to learn! Actually, for about 2 months after the accident, i was prescribed Gabapentin. At the time, there was so much goin on, i don't recall if it really helped, then a new doc told me I didn't need it, so I've stopped. but i still have a bunch, so i could try it again for this headache business. It was mainly for the nerve issues I was having around shoulder & neck. Any pill I have put in my mouth so far hasn't done much-for pain or headache. (Doc sites too few blood vessels in the area to receive meds) i've mainly been on pretty mild stuff though,IMO. My current fave relief is from TENS, ice, darkness and rest-since I'm able to rest better after ablation. Doc asks why I don't even take Rx pain meds, but they do nothing. The slightest buzz I might hope for is NO consolation to this *#@!&%$ headache!

If this all sounds like it is NOT related to my injury, then I need to finish up with this guy and go find someone who can handle this. Maybe my issues from the accident have been helped all they can be and this one is a seperate issue? Its hard to tell since that is when this type of thing started & I've been dealing with the accident stuff for so long.

Thanks again, haglandc, for helping.