pinched nerve in neck/back (1 Viewer)

[arrow1]

Going through this same sort of thing right now. I have a pinched nerve in my neck/shoulder area which makes my index finger numb. When it first came along, the pain would also go down my arm and my muscles would hurt terribly.After going through the exercise of going to my doctor and being referred to a nerve doctor, who did an EMG test and then did an MRI, I finally got a formal diagnosis of it being my C6 nerve. Been going to therapy for a week, and the traction and deep heat feels great. Hoping a few more weeks gets me back to normal.BTW, I tried a Chiropractor first (had never been to one before that)... went for three adjustments and then the guy told me he thought I would need about 8-12 more adjustments at $40 a pop. Later doctor back-cracker.

update?

Still working on it at therapy. The MRI revealed that it is a disc that is affecting the C6 nerve. He also said there is a bit of fluid on my spinal chord (has referred me to a neurosurgeon to check that out). The stretching that the traction does feels great and makes my condition feel good for about a half day after... then it goes back to feeling about the same. The numbness in my index finger is still there.I feel like they baby me with the traction. They start out low and slowly add more. I keep telling them they really couldn't pull hard enough at this point.

How does the traction work? Could you get the same thing hanging upside down from one of those boot devices.I've had the exact same symptoms for two weeks now. Muscles just above the elbow are the worst.

The traction feels great. I tried the hanging upside down thing, but it really only stretched my lower back. The machine they put me on connects at the neck, just under the skull, so it pulls only my head (which then stretches the neck).

So...you won't go for 8-12 visits to FIX the source of the problem, but you'll go for numerous traction visits that only help temporarily? That makes sense..

 

[bshell27]

I am now a workers' comp attorney and see this type of stuff ALL day.

You need to see a neurologist or neurosurgeon. They are best suited to treat for these injuries and do not go right for surgery (Depending on rep., you want to find a more conservative one).

If you have nerve pain from the neck injury into your arms it is called radiculopathy caused by foraminal narrowing or stenosis, most likely from bulging, protruded (herniated) or herniated disc.

Physical therapy right away helps, if that does not work then injections of some sort- Epidural Steroid Injections, Facet Injections, if that and PT does not do the trick then depending on injury will need surgery- discectomy, laminotomy, fusion.

PM me if you are in IL area I can point you to some good docs. If this resulted from car accident, then consult a lawyer, if in IL area call me I will be glad to help.

 

[bshell27]

By the way, Chiro is not the way to go. Maybe for everyday back pain, but you are having serious nerve issues if you are feeling pain down your arms from a neck injury or down your legs from a low back/lumbar injury.

 

[moleculo]

By the way, Chiro is not the way to go. Maybe for everyday back pain, but you are having serious nerve issues if you are feeling pain down your arms from a neck injury or down your legs from a low back/lumbar injury.

that was my thought as well. I had an appt with a nuerosurgeon last week and an MRI on Sunday. Unfortunately, the doctor won't be able to review and advise until next week. So, all I can do in the mean time is pop advil. The pain in my neck is mostly gone now, but I have been having dull, achy pains in my tricep and bicep. I think it's some sort of pain transferral thing, which is weird. I know there is still something going on because my thumb, finger, and arm are still numb.I suppose the pain in my neck isn't totally gone. If I lie down without a pillow - say on the floor with my head unsupported - immediate pain is back. This made the MRI VERY uncomfortable and painful.

 

[moleculo]

I am now a workers' comp attorney and see this type of stuff ALL day. You need to see a neurologist or neurosurgeon. They are best suited to treat for these injuries and do not go right for surgery (Depending on rep., you want to find a more conservative one).If you have nerve pain from the neck injury into your arms it is called radiculopathy caused by foraminal narrowing or stenosis, most likely from bulging, protruded (herniated) or herniated disc. Physical therapy right away helps, if that does not work then injections of some sort- Epidural Steroid Injections, Facet Injections, if that and PT does not do the trick then depending on injury will need surgery- discectomy, laminotomy, fusion. PM me if you are in IL area I can point you to some good docs. If this resulted from car accident, then consult a lawyer, if in IL area call me I will be glad to help.

how would one know if this was a result of the accident?I have been having stiff/sore neck issues for a while, and attribute that to a string of crappy pillows. I was in a car accident in late July, but went maybe a month with no symptoms. Is it common for symptoms to not show up immediately?

 

[moleculo]

soooo looking forward to my appt with the surgeon on Monday. This crap is for the birds. I've had it.

I have been mostly pain-free for a while, but the thumb is still numb. Today we went to a BBQ festival uptown in Charlotte and they had pig races. I was in the front row, so I spent 15 min crouched down with my daughter, so people behind me could see (as a short man, I know what it's like to not see and try to extend courtesy when ever I'm in front). The act of crouching brought the pain back. And then, it rained. So, I ran back to the car to pick up the fam. I swear, I could feel my vertebrae bouncing on my nerve with every step I took as I ran.

Right now, it's not a very sharp pain, but it's a pain that has been there for over a month now.

I'm also pretty pissed at how this has impacted my :ahem: cage-fighting career. i haven't trained since this went down (also because of a strained elbow, but that's another story). I feel like such a fat tub o' lard after getting in fairly decent shape. I'm very scared that this may be worse than I thought and I may never step on the mat again...

 

[Sweatpants]

Sorry I didn't get around to this thread earlier. For the love of God, pleeeeeeease don't get surgery on your neck. The only time you should have surgery on your neck is in extreme circumstances where your spinal cord is being compressed, not for a pinched nerve. Please get in to see a good PT before even considering surgery. Surgery on the cervical spine is about the most complex and unsuccessful orthopedic surgeries out there. It's a last resort. I don't care what the surgeon says. Don't do it unless you have to.

p.s. I'm a PT. If you choose the route of therapy first, which i strongly recommend, let me know and I will find a good PT near you. gl

 

[Sweatpants]

Find an Osteopath. Don't waste your time with a physical therapist, chiropractor or doctor.

Good advice, dumb###

 

[mr roboto]

I read most of the posts, but sorry if this is redundant.

I would recommend a chiropractor for some initial adjustments after he/she takes x-rays. This way you will know that it is in fact an alignment issue.

My chiropractor fitted me with some orthodics. Basically, inserts for your shoes similar to what you can buy at the pharmacy. Except a good chiro will take a mold of your feet and send it in to get perfect-fitting ones.

This has COMPLETELY changed my life. Seriously. I had knee surgery after a torn meniscus (cartridge) in my left knee. It threw everything out of whack, including my hip, back and neck. The adjustments definitely help, but if I go 2-3 days wearing shoes without the inserts, I feel terrible.

Only drawback is that in the summer, if you like to wear sandals, there is no good way to keep wearing the inserts.

BTW, I'm a 2 handicap golfer, and the inserts have improved my golf game tremendously. I'm in better balance and don't get tired walking 18 holes. And I play ultimate frisbee each Sunday and same thing, I feel great after playing for a couple hours if I wear the inserts.

Don't know if this would help since it seems this is from a more acute trauma, but if you are going to go see a chiro, ask him/her about them.

 

[moleculo]

Sorry I didn't get around to this thread earlier. For the love of God, pleeeeeeease don't get surgery on your neck. The only time you should have surgery on your neck is in extreme circumstances where your spinal cord is being compressed, not for a pinched nerve. Please get in to see a good PT before even considering surgery. Surgery on the cervical spine is about the most complex and unsuccessful orthopedic surgeries out there. It's a last resort. I don't care what the surgeon says. Don't do it unless you have to.p.s. I'm a PT. If you choose the route of therapy first, which i strongly recommend, let me know and I will find a good PT near you. gl

I will not be getting cut unless I absolutely have to... and then, there will be second and third opinions before I agree to that. I'm all about therapy, but I need a diagnosis first.

 

[Sweatpants]

Sorry I didn't get around to this thread earlier. For the love of God, pleeeeeeease don't get surgery on your neck. The only time you should have surgery on your neck is in extreme circumstances where your spinal cord is being compressed, not for a pinched nerve. Please get in to see a good PT before even considering surgery. Surgery on the cervical spine is about the most complex and unsuccessful orthopedic surgeries out there. It's a last resort. I don't care what the surgeon says. Don't do it unless you have to.p.s. I'm a PT. If you choose the route of therapy first, which i strongly recommend, let me know and I will find a good PT near you. gl

I will not be getting cut unless I absolutely have to... and then, there will be second and third opinions before I agree to that. I'm all about therapy, but I need a diagnosis first.

Wise choice, sir. I think you'll be just fine

 

[moleculo]

diagnosis is a slipped disk. Surgery is an option, but not necessary. PT is my first course of action, which starts on Thursday.

 

[Al Czervik]

diagnosis is a slipped disk. Surgery is an option, but not necessary. PT is my first course of action, which starts on Thursday.

Good luck. PT has been helping my condition out. It has gotten better... still not all the way yet. Saw my doc last week and he referred me to a pain doctor to do an epidural. He thinks it should calm down the inflamed nerve, which should complete the healing process.

 

[Early_10]

After a full weekend of mixed ball, I'm so f'n stuff it's unreal.

I just bet you are.

stiff! see how the u and and i are right there next to each other?

 

[Sweatpants]

diagnosis is a slipped disk. Surgery is an option, but not necessary. PT is my first course of action, which starts on Thursday.

He used the term "slipped?" Did he say anything about a bulging or herniated disc? "Slipped" is more of a layman's term, which can mean either. I hope it's more bulging than herniated. Sounds like pretty good news, though. My guess is a little stretching, postural adjustment and strengthening should do the trick. Numbness in your fingers could be coming from a rotator cuff problem too, but they will assess all of that during your evaluation. Gl and do the exercises they show you to do at home, very important.

 

[moleculo]

diagnosis is a slipped disk. Surgery is an option, but not necessary. PT is my first course of action, which starts on Thursday.

He used the term "slipped?" Did he say anything about a bulging or herniated disc? "Slipped" is more of a layman's term, which can mean either. I hope it's more bulging than herniated. Sounds like pretty good news, though. My guess is a little stretching, postural adjustment and strengthening should do the trick. Numbness in your fingers could be coming from a rotator cuff problem too, but they will assess all of that during your evaluation. Gl and do the exercises they show you to do at home, very important.

he said bulging. I threw in slipped just to use laymans terms. He said this was likely a degenerative condition which may or may not have been brought on by my car accident. I wanted something more definitive to take to the insurance company.My concern is what happens once it's all better - will I be more prone to re-injury later on? Is this like an ankle sprain that gets better with time and PT, or is this something I'm going to have to deal with the rest of my life?

 

[Sweatpants]

diagnosis is a slipped disk. Surgery is an option, but not necessary. PT is my first course of action, which starts on Thursday.

He used the term "slipped?" Did he say anything about a bulging or herniated disc? "Slipped" is more of a layman's term, which can mean either. I hope it's more bulging than herniated. Sounds like pretty good news, though. My guess is a little stretching, postural adjustment and strengthening should do the trick. Numbness in your fingers could be coming from a rotator cuff problem too, but they will assess all of that during your evaluation. Gl and do the exercises they show you to do at home, very important.

he said bulging. I threw in slipped just to use laymans terms. He said this was likely a degenerative condition which may or may not have been brought on by my car accident. I wanted something more definitive to take to the insurance company.My concern is what happens once it's all better - will I be more prone to re-injury later on? Is this like an ankle sprain that gets better with time and PT, or is this something I'm going to have to deal with the rest of my life?

It depends on how bad it's degenerated or injured, but from the sound of it, it's not very bad. Some numbness and tingling in your hands isn't usually indicative of anything major. Degenerative may even be a little strong of a term to use at this point. It could simply be that there was some soft tissue and ligament damage in the wreck and it contributed to an already mild degenerative condition. I wouldn't concern myself too much with worrying about dealing with it the rest of my life just yet. It sounds minor, as far as the cervical spine goes, and something that can improved with therapy. Note: I'm going by a limited amount of info here, so don't take what I said as absolute truth. I think you will be fine

 

[Al Czervik]

My concern is what happens once it's all better - will I be more prone to re-injury later on? Is this like an ankle sprain that gets better with time and PT, or is this something I'm going to have to deal with the rest of my life?

My concern too. Asked the doctor about it last week and he said there are a lot of athletes that have my condition and they still continue, so I should not be concerned and should be able to continue regular activities (said Steve Yzerman played with my condition).

 

[moleculo]

neck is better - 100% no pain, and feeling in thumb is gone.

I've gotta assume the PT and the anti-inflammatory meds worked for me.

 

[Hooper31]

neck is better - 100% no pain, and feeling in thumb is gone. I've gotta assume the PT and the anti-inflammatory meds worked for me.

Update years later? I just went through similar circumstances and opted for the surgery. Wish I would have searched for this thread and got your opinion. Oh well, what's done is done, but curious to hear your story since you initially started down this path.

 

[moleculo]

neck is better - 100% no pain, and feeling in thumb is gone. I've gotta assume the PT and the anti-inflammatory meds worked for me.

Update years later? I just went through similar circumstances and opted for the surgery. Wish I would have searched for this thread and got your opinion. Oh well, what's done is done, but curious to hear your story since you initially started down this path.

no issues at all. 100% done. In fact, I had pretty much forgotten about it. I'm still active with things like lifting heavy weights, jiu jitsu, and MMA kickboxing and no issues at all.

 

[Hooper31]

neck is better - 100% no pain, and feeling in thumb is gone. I've gotta assume the PT and the anti-inflammatory meds worked for me.

Update years later? I just went through similar circumstances and opted for the surgery. Wish I would have searched for this thread and got your opinion. Oh well, what's done is done, but curious to hear your story since you initially started down this path.

no issues at all. 100% done. In fact, I had pretty much forgotten about it. I'm still active with things like lifting heavy weights, jiu jitsu, and MMA kickboxing and no issues at all.

Glad it worked out well for you. Thanks for the update.

 

[Rattle and Hum]

on the stretches for the next time I get this. Also, please PM the vid link if it ever was made. tia

 

[belljr]

I have a constant nerve pinch in my back neck. It moves from area to area.