neck pain

jasa8504

New member
i have neck and between my shoulders and sometimes down my spine. i will also get tingling in my fingers and hands along with some numbness. i noticed recently that when i do house work and clean counters for too long including wipeing down fridge ,microwave ect. i will really be in alot of pain the next day and for at least a week. I get shooting pains going down my back or from my neck to my shoulders. If i sit for a while it hurts to get up and i feel stiff at my feet and back for a little bit before i can walk normal. SOUND FAMILIAR// any suggestion what it might be / ALREADY HAVE AN APP WITH DOC BUT JUST CURIOUS!!
 
Diva Mom

Make sure the doctor orders a cervical spine MRI with and without contrast. I had cervical spine surgery for an herniated disk. My symptoms were tingling and weak legs. My feet also hurt every time I got up after sitting for a few minutes. I was amazed how I felt the day after surgery--I was also amazed at how a herniated cervical disk could cause so many issues within the body.
 
:confused::confused:I dont have a specific finger that goes numb and tingles its my whole hand. even when i hold the news paper to read my hands wills soometimes go numb and tingles and i just shake them. even while sitting her at chair typing it will happen and from the top of my neck to the bottom of my back will start hurting real bad and hurt for the rest of the day..wow talk about ruining my day! Yesterday it was like that for me and i said i wouldnt get on computer today but i needed to get things done and i WILL be sorry ..and i normally dont stay on very long..maybe 1 hr and that might even be 1 hr off and on through out the day. Im a mess! Cant wait for MRI to find out whats going on if anything.:confused::(
 
just when is that MRI scheduled for? and is this MRI going to be "only" c spine or the whole spinal just to fully check out all areas of potential involvement considering symptoms? and as brenda stated, make certain it IS done with contrast added to better highlight certain areas that do not always show as well? its a good thing to add to an MRI when esp looking for a problem, in the diagnostic mode? they automatically will do one set without constrast, then a comparritive round using it? this makes it easier for the interpreting rad to compare films and possibly see something that the other round of non contrasted pics may not show. but always DO keep in mind, despite having pain that does and can easily be from spinal, not all even real solid findings will simply "always" show up on any given MRI or any actual "scan" for that matter too? but from what you are describing, i would think 'something' should show? a scan is just that, a scan and not a kodak moment, so sometimes certain pain generators that ARE there, just will not always show themselves(until further deterioration kicks in and "presents" it more clearly down the road). hopefully whatever is wrong for you up there, simply 'will'. but there ARE other tests too that can help narrow things down, esp when there is a sensory loss, but that(actual active impingment) HAS to be reproduced during the actual test as with the EMG/NCV that simply would check nerve flow velocity and reactionary time of nerve firings to muscle/brain/ muscle as well?

if you do have some level of CT involvement, it includes that median nerve that would show more specific symptoms in the middle finger moreso than anything else since that median IS the only nerve that runs thru that C tunnel? but it can also cause wrist pain as well, esp when things are being compressed within that carpal tunnel to the hands. one other good test to have done that would most definitely show exactly where that inpingement is ,which is what could be creating the posistional numbness would be to have that EMG/NCV test done after seeing what does or does not actually show up on the c spine level with the MRI? this test would specifically locate where the nerve flow is being possibly pinched off along your arm/wrist? or on all the way up to your possible c spine too? they check the nerves all the way from finger/hands to the c spine.

carpal tunnel is very very often found with only that EMG being done. its just the very best type of testing for THAT specifically? but right now, lets wait and see what simply does or does not actually show upon your MRI results and go from there since impingement of certain nerve roots in the c spine and in that CT can mimic certain syptoms of each other? that MRI should hopefully show whats up in your c spine anyways, which would have to be somewhat impacted in order for you to be feeling what you are with certain symptoms? you could have affectation up in that c spine along with some level of CT too tho. not that uncommon, esp when we do repetitive motion on like a daily basis in certain ways. your tests should show whats up.

just make certain to get that copy of your MRI too hon. in most cases, you can ask the facility that is doing the MRI to simply send you your own copy in the mail by filling out a sheet they have for you to just fill out and sign(this is what i do) then about ten days or so later, they will send it to you. they just want to make certain that your doc has told you the results before they send any MRI to any patient. or you can obtain that copy directly from the ordering doc too. once you have been given the results,whether you are there and can get one right away, or if you get a call from them, either way, once you have recieved results, you CAN obtain your own copy from the ordering docs office. just ALWAYS get one.

good luck with the MRI hon, and DO let us know what is found that gets placed in the very last section of that report which would be the 'summary' or 'conclusion'? that area simply has ANY of the real hard findings the interpretting rad sees upon looking at your films. FB
 
wow..thx for all the info i never knew any of this. Im learning so much just from this sight, its amazing! I will definetly post my results. Sure hope its nothing though.
 
DivaMom

I just got back from my neurosurgeon because I have been getting rt arm pain and tingling back. (First physical therapist did not follow the treatment requested) I am going to have cervical traction, my new physical therapist is going to begin the treatment and than I will have a home cervical traction machine so that I can do the therapy myself. I did this type of treatment five years ago when I had numbness and tingling in my right hand. MRI said I had a herniated disk at c4-5. I can tell you this really worked (with a week of a steroid medication). The disk did shrink down and my symptoms were gone within a couple of weeks.
So when this option was offered to me today (I was also offered direct steroid injections into the neck--not my first choice) I naturally chose the traction option.
I am also doing lumbar traction for the disk that became herniated because of the original physical therapy treatment. I can just see me next week, cervical traction for my neck and another traction machine for the lumbar region. I hope I do not scare the other patients who come for there knee and shoulder treatments.
I hope your MRI and doctors appointments are coming soon. Let me know how you do.
 
well, you most certainly ARE doing the best possible type of test for your particular symptoms. so thats great. hopefully whatever this is, since it does very much sound like alot of the basic radiculopathic types of symptoms generally created FROM some level of c spine involvement when it impacts your arms down to your hands, it wont be too serious. many different things can create specific issues/ symptoms down into our arms and other places too depending upon any cord involvement as well? are there actually very specific fingers the symptoms will show up in most of the time?

hopefully this is strictly a structural/spinal and not an inner spinal issue that just can also impact the cord level. i am only mentioning the cord level becasue of the feet symptom, but it is always possible to have a c spine and lumbar issue too. not all that uncommon anyways. or other " possibles" that can impact your feet unrelated to actual spinal issues too.

good luck and please DO keep us posted. also, make certain to always obtain your very own copies of ANY and ALL testing reports ever done on you too. we just really DO NEED to also keep our own personal medical files on all testing done at home for us too. trust me when i say, everyone should get their own test results just to be able to read thru things yourself and also have for any other docs who you may see too. or if it should be needed at a certain point, that ER too would LOVE a good baseline set of test results showing up WITH you as well??

when people say they are going to 'fax things" to another doc, you cannot always count on that one actually happening in certain cases. this is why i carry all my more recent and pertinet medical records and test results with me in this expandable folder type thing to every single doc appt, just so i know I have my own stuff, just in case? just always have someone 'just" make a 'copy only' of YOUR copies and never ever 'give' them to anyone and make certain to always get them back before you leave, or YOU will have to replace stuff? let us know how things are. FB
 
thx for all the info. very helpful. I do not have a specific finger or fingers that go numb or tingle. Simple things like lholding a news paper up while reading will cause my hands to tingle or feel like they are going to sleep and just shake them and kinda readjust. Even when im just sitting sometimes or holding the phone on my ear. Im kinda wondering if it might be carpal tunnel to cuz i also get pain in wrists pretty bad! Maybe my arthrirtis to though..who knows bacislly i feel im just a big mess!! Cant wait for results on my MRI. You know even sitting her at my computer is killing my back from the top of my neck to the bottom of my back and when im done here and get up i will be in pain the rest of the day like yesterday. WOW..PAIN!!
 
Back
Top