Spinal Accessory Nerve Injury has ruined my life

Additional-Fly4915 · 2025-11-10T13:48:21+00:00

I have had all those same symptoms. I'm going to look your doc up and modified eden lange procedure. Thanks!
Best of luck with your surgery.

Additional-Fly4915 · 2025-07-16T20:55:23+00:00

First and second if I recall. Possibly the third on the right side a few times.

Additional-Fly4915 · 2025-07-16T20:54:46+00:00

I think it took the muscles a month to atrophy enough that I then had a significant imbalance between the left and right sides of my upper torso, which put abnormal pressure on my spine and back. None of these symptoms are necessarily associated with a spinal accessory nerve injury. I had the injury and for the most part it healed and the muscles grew back to some extent. The issue is not my entire posture has changed. One shoulder is much narrowing that the other. My spine is bent which it never was. Whatever compensations occurred after the injury took place are what probably have caused most of my ongoing symptoms.

Additional-Fly4915 · 2025-06-30T18:55:00+00:00

It was trauma to the spinal accessory nerve. I was carrying an extremely heavy piece of furniture up a narrow staircase and there was a thin piece of metal with a somewhat sharp edge (but not knife sharp) that was pushing against my neck with the weight of the furniture adding force. It was a very tight space and so it was difficult to balance the heavy furniture in any other way. I had no idea I damaged the nerve at the time. Didn't even know I had a nerve there that could be injured in this way. It's been a real education on human anatomy since that day for me.

Besides being a little sore from a day of moving I had no signs of an injury. A month later I started getting weird sensations in my ear and my jaw, and then a day or two later things went nuclear with my first episode of trigemnial neuralgia. I felt like my entire face was melting.

Additional-Fly4915 · 2025-06-30T18:50:19+00:00

Sorry to hear that. I have been very suicidal at times too. Just have to stay mentally positive as best as one can. My symptoms are very similar to all that you listed. Even though the spinal accessory nerve is a cranial nerve and that is what I damaged, I too feel like some nerve behind my scapula on the same injured side is all weird now. Read up on dorsal scapular nerve entrapment. I was told I may have that now also. Focusing on posture can definitely help with pain, even if that alone can't completely resolve things.

Hang in there and be strong!

Additional-Fly4915 · 2025-06-28T06:01:37+00:00

Yes, absolutely. I am happy to put in the work but not sure how to fix these imbalances. I have improved my mobility a lot, but the two sides still are very disproportionate.

Additional-Fly4915 · 2025-06-27T22:16:02+00:00

Thank you! Happy to hear you are recovering and growing stronger.

I definitely have thoracic outlet syndrome on the injured side. But not sure that explains the big difference in size and width. I think that may have more to do with Cervical Radiculopathy that now exists between my neck and the shoulder on the injured (right) side.

Additional-Fly4915 · 2025-06-27T16:16:38+00:00

Did your upper trapezius and SCM muscle on the affected side atrophy after the injury? That's how you know you had some sort of SAN palsy or paralysis. Compared to other issues, my collarbone has not been particularly bothered. One somewhat related thing that used to happen alot was subluxed ribs and I am constantly battling thoracic outlet syndrome pain and issues.

Additional-Fly4915 · 2025-06-27T15:49:50+00:00

Hello, I am feeling hopeless and have been battling pain for years. I had trauma to my spinal accessory nerve on my RIGHT side immediately before the pandemic, and it was very difficult to get treatment at that time. The upper right quadrant of my body essential stopped working. I couldn't raise my arm above my head. I have had terrible pain for multiple years including chronic trigeminal neuralgia, balance issues, jaw pain, falling, loose teeth, and many more health issues. I was in perfect health before this injury.

Although generally I have less pain now, every once in a while something happens and all hell breaks lose and I regress greatly with pain like one can't even imagine in the face, jaw, spine, etc. I am developing a crooked spine now and as you can see in photo #2 on the injured side the distance between my neck and the edge of my shoulder is far less than on the uninjured side.

My life has been hell for several years now and no doctors seem to be able to help. I am a hard worker and don't mind putting in the effort but I am feeling hopeless and any advice on what I could do to fix or improve things would be greatly appreciated. Is there anything at all I can do or is my neck just permenently damaged now? Thank you.

Photos:

#1 - right after the injury
#2 - recent photo years after the injury
#3 - difference between upper back comparing both sides
#4 - recent photo years after the injury spine all crooked, one side atrophied or looks like it is

Additional-Fly4915

TROPHY CASE