Posted by ejy2 on October 04, 2009 at 17:18:57:A while back, the message below was posted by a member named glark, mentioning a successful experience with MMA surgery with Dr. Li, and also noting that the surgery solved his neck and shoulder pain.
I am in a very similar boat in that I am experiencing considerable neck and shoulder pain in addition to sleep apnea. I have also spoken to Dr. Li and he has recommended MMA surgery, although I am still conducting more research, getting second opinions and thinking about this rather big decision.
If glark is out there, I would really appreciate hearing about your pre-MMA problems with shoulder and neck pain; how he determined their cause (was Dr. Li part of that?); and how MMA solved the problem. Basically, if his symptoms match up with mine, it would provide me with some hope that MMA may also be an answer to that related, quite debilitating problem, as well as my sleep apnea. I have searched the forums for people who suffer from apnea and neck/shoulder pain, and actually have found very few postings that describe a relationship between the two.
I also of course would really enjoy hearing about other people who experienced neck and shoulder pain and perhaps had it resolved through surgery or some other technique. I've long been trying to figure out what's causing my pain, whether it's related to my sleep apnea, and whether therefore the solution suggested for sleep apnea (e.g., MMA) would solve the problem.
Thank you for your help.
Posted by glark on August 31, 2009 at 21:09:59:I just had the MMA 5 weeks ago with Dr. Li at Stanford. I wanted to thank this board collectively as I read though many postings before decided to do it. I was one of those folks with the weak chin and small airway. I battled sleep problems for 20 years before being diagnosed with severe apnea. I went through two mouth guards and a cpap. I wasn’t sure what to do.
As it happens, I moved up to Berkeley and met Dr. Li.
It was honestly the best thing that could have happened.
I had the MMA. It is a tough procedure but manageable. But for those folks who know, it is so worth it. I am sleeping and dreaming like I haven’t since college. I also fought neck and shoulder pain, which was from carrying my head too far forward in an attempt to open my small airway more. That is gone and my posture is better.
For those who are thinking about the MMA, check it out. For me, it so happened I was well suited for this procedure and it turned out so well it’s changed my life. As some others have written here, I had forgotten what normal was with the apnea. It’s starting to come back to me.
- Re: glark, MMA, neck/shoulder pain k8e 19:31 12/06/09 (0)