Cervical Spondylosis

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I'm in the process of applying for a 3rd class medical certificate and am thinking that I have a problem. Several years ago, I complained of a stiff neck to my family doctor on 2 consecutive visits. I guess, based on symptoms alone, he decided to call it "cervical spondylosis" and enters it in my file. I didn't think much of it at the time and assumed that it was just another type of arthritis. He ordered a cervical x-ray, which didn't show anything significant other than normal wear and tear for my age (55). He then orders me to get an EMG to determine if the stiffness might be a pinched nerve. Results negative - no pinched nerve.

So I assume that it's arthritis and do not schedule another visit with the doctor until the next annual physical. Between doctor visits and to this day, the stiffness comes and goes and is barely noticable after taking an ibuprofen tablet.

Next visit, he doesn't ask me about the condition and I say nothing about it. Everything else is normal for the exam. He mentions that I'm due for a colonoscopy and sends me on my way. I get my copy of the findings for the exam and it notes the usual weight, blood pressure, etc. but also mentions "cervical spondylosis" at the end.

Fast forward to now and I've done some reading about cervical spondylosis and have become concerned that my reporting of this condition will result in the AME denying me a medical.

Other than the intermittent neck stiffness, I have no other significant health issues. I workout 3 times a week, am in good physical condition for my age, and am have a hard time believing this is a "groundable" or "special issuance" condition for me. But from what I've read so far, that seems to be the case.

My family doc doesn't begin to know the problems he may have caused me with his quick diagnosis of a condition I may or may not have. What he has done so far certainly doesn't seem to justify him making this entry in my medical record. Of course, if I do have CS, I suppose I should probably thank him for quickly identifying it.

I'm thinking that I might pay for a "consultation" with the AME before applying for the actual medical, but unsure as to how wise that move might be. I've been seeing this same AME for almost 30 years, so he's well aware of my history but he might not have much leeway on this matter.

My last medical has expired so I'm no longer flying and am definitely looking for any insight or advice on this situation.

Thanks!
 
It will be bad as it is.

In 1981, while in the Air Force, I felt some tingling in my shoulder. I was examined by the squadron’s assigned flight surgeon, who turned me over to an orthopedist on a visit from the big USAF medical center. X-rays, physical exam, and he writes "Spondylosis" in my medical record (it's all Greek to me -- even if it's in Latin). He gives me some exercises to do, and in less than a month the symptoms are gone, never to return. Unfortunately, while this guy is a board-certified orthopod, he’s new to the Air Force, and doesn't know he's supposed to discuss things with the flight surgeon any time a flyer is examined. The flight surgeon didn’t bother to follow up. My record goes back in the records room, and that's that. I'm happy, I'm flying, life is good (or at least as good as it can be in Clovis NM, which my wife called "The US Air Force's answer to Soviet internal exile").

Six months later, my flight surgeon happens to review my medical record. "Spondylosis"? OHMIGAWD! That's unwaiverably and permanently grounding. Panic and consternation (not to mention irresponsibility -- the flight surgeon is supposed to immediately review anything anyone puts in a flyer's medical record, but that's another story). Levy's grounded, and the wing commander is in the hospital commander's face over how one of his crewmembers could have been allowed to fly for six months with a grounding medical condition. (Had there been an accident, this would have come out, and the wing and squadron commanders would have been barbecued.) They compromise -- send Levy to the big USAF medical center for another consult, this time with a neurosurgeon.

More X-rays, more examinations, more tests. Fortunately, this particular neurosurgeon is a wily old colonel and a rated flight surgeon, wise to the ways of both the Air Force and fighter pilots. He looks at all the data and says, "Well, you really can't tell spondylosis from mild degenerative joint disease without going inside your neck, and that's pretty risky and pretty pointless since the condition is asymptomatic and not progressing noticeably. The difference is that while spondylosis is grounding, DJD isn't. So I'm going to rewrite the diagnosis as mild DJD and you're back on flying status." So after ten days grounded, I'm flying again, all's well, etc.

No problem, right? Guess what. That damn fool squadron flight surgeon, in reviewing the medical record, noted that I got a Class II FAA Medical last time I took my annual USAF flight physical. Suddenly, this guy is conscientious -- at the same time he grounds me and wraps the Air Force around the axle, and without telling me, he writes the FAA a letter telling THEM I've got spondylosis. About two months later, after the USAF situation was resolved I get a letter from ol' Audie Davis, MD (long-time chief FAA flight surgeon) telling me to send back my Class II FAA Medical Certificate because of the spondylosis. Another two months of back-and-forth between the neurosurgeon, the flight surgeon, me, and Audie before it's straightened out.

I was fortunate -- it didn't cost me a dime to resolve the situation, but had I been a civilian, the costs would have been in the thousands (thanks, taxpayers). But the point is that if you write or say the wrong words, it could be a nightmare getting it straightened out.

Oh, yeah -- I did get even with that bone-head flight surgeon. He was supposed to fly in our F-111's at least six times a half in order to keep his flight status and flight pay. He was deathly afraid of flying in fighters, and tried bagging flights on medevac C-141's that passed through in order to log his time. As Chief of Training for the squadron, I carefully documented this. He claimed the squadron didn't offer him enough flights, so they only put him on probationary status. We then had the squadron schedulers document their attempts to get him on the schedule for the next six months -- weekly calls asking when he was available to fly, calls to say flights were available and which would he like, etc. At the end of six months he hadn't flown once, and it was good-bye flight pay for him. GOTCHA!
 
Thanks for that ray of sunshine Ron. Your experience leads me to believe I had better get my checkbook out. Appreciate the feedback.
 
And yet , I had no problem with a C4,5,6 fusion and a L5 disk replacement .....
 
Don't be discouraged by Capn'Ron. Cervical spondylosis (the meaning of which is completely undefined), provided you don't have a neurological deficit, nor require more than an occasional Nonsteroidal anitinflammatory, and can be seen to reasonably move your neck, simply results in "no impact on ability to act as PIC" in AME box sixty and an issuance.

Cervical spondylosis resulting in instability- now that's totally a different matter. In Cap'nRon's tale, the guy obviously had the latter.

I don't even need a record for this one.
 
bbchien said:
Don't be discouraged by Capn'Ron. Cervical spondylosis, provided you don't have a neurological deficit, nor require more than an occasional Nonsteroidal anitinflammatory, and can be seen to reasonably move your neck, simply results in "no impact on ability to act as PIC" in AME box sixty and an issuance.
Click to expand...
Must be a change since I went through that stuff.
 
bbchien said:
Cervical spondylosis resulting in instability- now that's totally a different matter. In Cap'nRon's tale, the guy obviously had the latter.
Click to expand...
In my tale, "the guy" (me) had no instability. They just shot first and asked questions later.
 
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