C6/C7 problem? What do you do?
 

Dealing with a pinched nerve. Xray shows likely between c6/c7 = pain in shoulder and arm. Going on a month now.

Mostly bad at night.

Still looking for relief - trying to avoid anything other than motrin.

Any tips for those that have had this issue? What brings relief? How did you prevent or reduce relapse?

I thought this was a Corvette problem :)

Sorry to hear. I know how you feel.
Acupuncture with electrical stimulation was my fix. 6 treatments.
Stretching and exercise with help prevent it from happening again.

I'd say go for the C7.......��

I’m not a doctor but I am buried in medical records all day, mostly spine injuries. First thing I would do is get an MRI and EMG. What is a pinched nerve? You need a specific diagnosis. Is the disc herniated? If yes, typical next step is PT and steroid injections. If no relief, live with it or discuss with surgeon.

I solved mine by falling off a motorcycle, being paralyzed for a couple months and having immediate spinal surgery. Wouldn't recommend that...
What did work for me occasionally prior was neck traction-a sling under the chin and a pulley/weight thing over a door-it'd take pressure off the nerve and allow it to calm.
But agree with the post above-do the xray's show a loss of disc height or bone spurs or stenosis or what? Tx can be different for each. Not a dr either but also spent much of my legal career buried in medical records.

Same here!

Back pain is a black art with a thousands different testimonials of a different fix for each. No one size fits all cure.

Good luck, back pain sucks as you can't do much of anything without hurting.

Speaking from my experience with a C5 injury....don't mess around with anything other expert treatment. Sure, you want to treat the pain but bro you have got to fix what is causing the pain. See the expert and do what they recommend.

I'm doing shockwave therapy now. It does help but relapsing a lot - particularly bad at night before bed.

MRI scheduled a few weeks out. Based on the initial xray (which you have to do to get approved for an MRI) it looks like a bulging disc into the medial nerve. THe good news is the structure of the spine looks good (no sublaxation or athritic growths)

I distracted my head and got relief from stuff in that area. Stand up straight, palms up, thumb at angle of mandible, index finger below occipital protuberance, gently pull head straight up. I actually fixed my neck my self after a car wreck.

I tried to follow this - really did. ...but can you show an example or translate into "dumb guy" language?

Elbows out, palms up, thumb at back of jawbone, fingers around the back of your head, imagine you are trying to gently make your neck a little longer

THank you. :)

I had worn out discs between the C5 and C6 vertebra. Pain was intense, running down underneath my shoulder blade, down my left arm to my elbow. These pics show my remedy. Surgery replaced the discs with artificial discs with Teflon mesh on either side. When I woke up from surgery, which was outpatient, relief was a immediate! And I retained full mobility in my neck.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1694202482.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1694202482.jpg

...and I thought Teflon was just for keeping my fried eggs from sticking...

That should be Teflon discs with titanium mesh on either side. No matter, suffice to say my neck is better than new! Hope you get relief soon.

You need an mri and a good neuro exam to have a handle on what is actually going on.
By the way, you can not see a disk on an xray- unless it is calcified which is pretty unusual. They are looking at bone changes and spurs, but not the disc.
gary

Thanks. Understood. Had to have the Xray first so as part of the insurance verification that an MRI is needed. Xray done, MRI scheduled in 3 weeks.