Pinched nerve in the neck - any solutions?

[cmccuist]

So for the last 6 months or so, my arm has been aching and getting progressively worse. Finally, it hurts so bad I can't sleep at night. No position is comfortable. I go in to the doctor and he takes an xray and orders an MRI. The MRI comes back and I have a slight out-of-round disk situation in my #5 or #6 vertebrae. He sends me to a neuro-surgeon and he says it doesn't rise to the level of surgery, so he orders physical therapy.

Anyone else have this condition and what did you do for it? What PT do you get?

I think it's aggravated by sitting and staring in the computer screen all day.

[Dueller]

Had something very similar. One thing that I think aggravated it was the position I slept in...not to be goofy or lose my man card but I had gotten in the habit of sleeping on my right side "spooning" with wife. We switched sides and it helped a bit. My wife's massage therapist suggested an exercise that helped tremendously:While standing or sitting straight backed erect slowly lean head to try touch your left ear to your shoulder thereby stretching muscles on the right side of your neck...hold for 15 seconds and slowly return your head to normal. Then do the same thing the other way. Then slowly tilt your head to the rear as far as you can and hold for 15 seconds. Next lower your head forward to the point your chin is touching your chest...you'll feel it pulling upper back muscles...hold 15 seconds. Finally (and his may sound weird) hold your head in normaL position and slowly extend upward as if the top of your head is being held up by a cord. When fully extended slowly rotate your head in small circles clockwise for 15 seconds and then reverse for 15 seconds as if your head was suspended by the imaginary cord.

Sounds convuluted but it really helped me that after a few days of doing this a few times a day, especially when it was hurting, I have been pain/numbness free for several months.

Also...I found that while heat was soothing, I responded better to cold packs/ice and discontinued using heat.

Hope this doesn't sound crazy...good luck.

EDIT: I also discovered that when sitting at my desk I would lean more often on my right arm/elbow...changed up that habit and it also seemed to help. You might try moving around the position of your computer screen/keypad so you are using different muscles in you neck/shoulders.

Mine got so bad at one point I was afraid it was symptomatciic of a heart attack with pain in left arm.

[cmccuist]

Jim, this is very helpful. I went out this morning to look for a heating pad, but maybe the ice would work better.

I'll try the exercise/stretching. I'm freaking miserable right now. the pills they gave me (day time pain killer, night time pain killer and anti-inflammatory) aren't working.

[cmccuist]

OK, the part of the exercise where you lean your head back and hold for 15 seconds was a little painful, but the other directions I could feel a lot of stretching going on. NIce!!!

I would love to spoon with the wife, but she's in Houston, and I'm in the Kingdom. I'll see her in September. It's interesting that my neck went all to hell when she went home in June!!! I'm gonna have to blame this on her (honey, Dueller told me it was your fault!) LOL

[Dueller]

Mine stems from a racing accident when I went almost head on into a concrete wall at 80-90mph. Pre HANS device. Had to use the jaws of life to get me out of the car. Nagged me for 10 years but only got worse over the last 3-4 years. Hasn't bothered me in the past year or so since I tried the exercises I described. I'm convinced it was aggravated by repetitive activity/positions.

[Dueller]

Originally Posted by cmccuist

OK, the part of the exercise where you lean your head back and hold for 15 seconds was a little painful, but the other directions I could feel a lot of stretching going on. NIce!!!

I would love to spoon with the wife, but she's in Houston, and I'm in the Kingdom. I'll see her in September. It's interesting that my neck went all to hell when she went home in June!!! I'm gonna have to blame this on her (honey, Dueller told me it was your fault!) LOL

I bet its gotten worse subsequent to you moving to a new sleeping position with your wife gone.

I blamed my wife, too

Man thing to keep in mind is to do it slowly and deliberately...no fast jerky motions.

[DanielDudley]

PT is a good option. Ice twice a day, 15 minutes.

[shinrai]

I had the same issue and it's a SOB. Numb left arm and eventually woke up one day and I couldn't sit up straight. Lost most of my left tricep (sp?). Anyhow western medicine didn't work for me. I didn't try a chiropractor because where I am trustworthy ones are few and far....

Several acupuncture sessions and neck exercises worked for me. I'm not normally not one to promote this but I was willing to try anything. I gained 99% of my muscles back and have learned how to control the issue.

Also you should raise the height of your computer. Crouching over a computer screen will only worsen your condition. gws!

[jjone20]

I have a similar issue, though not as severe as yours. Mine involves a disk around C4. PT worked for me including traction. They sent me home with the traction device - air operated, which relieves longitudinal pressure on the vertebra. Haven't had to use it lately. My symptoms involved numbness through the entire R arm. Very annoying. Good luck, I hope you get some relief.

[Jagshund]

I've been down both the PT and surgery routes for levels C4 through C7. Have a plate for C4-C5-C6, trying to take care of C6-C7 for a while without surgery. Traction, ice/heat and my home TENS unit helped for about eight months from injury > getting cut on. Each surgery put me down for about 16 weeks. I don't believe in chiropractors either, but there is a gel called BioFreeze that I buy through a local office which helps to some degree. Are you experiencing LHermittes?

[john70t]

Repetative-motion problems will only get worse if the conditions aren't corrected. I've had several with knees, wrists, shoulders. These worked for me:

1). Check glasses perscription. If necessary get a larger monitor, set it higher, and increase the font size. Get a split keyboard and make sure the wrists are straight, the fingers naturally curl, and the arms/elbows are fully supported at rest. This prevents the shoulders and neck from having to stay tight all day to support the weight of the arms.
Set a timer and move around every fifteen minutes. Stay hydrated with water or tea. Avoid sugary foods and try to lose weight with walking.

2). Have your partner or a profesional gently massage the lump from the C7/L1(bottom of the neck daily, or get a handheld unit. Self massage and press inbetween the web of the thumb and next to the elbow.
If there is a swimming pool available, go a couple times a week and just float.
Acupuncture will help loosen the muscle groups, which allows the vertebrae to realign. It was the only thing that returned feeling and range of motion to my back/hip/knee.

3). Sleep on your back and get a triangle pillow for under the knees. Long hot shower in the morning. Stretch and try holding a few yoga poses.
Go very easy and slow at first.

[cmccuist]

Man, these are all great suggestions. I'm going to raise my monitor. My colleagues have told me I look funny hunching over my keyboard to look at the monitor. I have the split, ergonomic keyboard to reduce wrist pain. That really helps.

I'm going to hvae to look for an acupuncturist. Is there a Saudi equivalent to that? We don't have as many options here in the Kingdom. I tried the icing and stretching and I can feel that working. That's worked for me before after I tricked out my back with a 485 lb dead lift. I endeed up with full recovery in my lower back.

This neck thing is so irritating, and now painful. I gotta get this fixed. Fortunately, the nuero-surgeon told me he wont have to cut.

[mossguy]

I have a similar problem with similar pain due to spinal stenosis. Regular (every 3 months) cortisone injections have been helpful.

Gutes Besserung,
Tom

[Evans, Marv]

Had the same problem for years. It came on suddenly with a coughing spell. It was especially painful when getting up in the mornings and pushing myself upright or stretched out to grip the top of the steering wheel. I had really severe pain from behind the left neck & shoulder, down around my elbow, through my forearm, and on to the little finger & the finger next to it, along with numbness. I tried massage, traction therapy, anti-inflammatories, and a chiropractor. Nothing worked, and the chiropractor was a total scam. According to the X-rays/scans, the hole the nerve came through from my the vertebra in my neck was reduced in size - probably from arthritic growth. After awhile they gave up and told me surgery wasn't an option. So I just lived with it and after the passage of many years, it slowly subsided. I don't know if my body slowly masked it, since I can feel just a ghost of the pain at times, but now it's almost totally gone or not noticeable. I'm amazed so many of you guys have experienced this, and I wish I could say I tried something that really worked to help out.

[Rikao4]

[QUOTE=
thing to keep in mind is to do it slowly and deliberately...no fast jerky motions.[/QUOTE]

& best to move down on the bed a bit as well..
striking your head on the wall could cause a concussion as well..

Rika

[M.D. Holloway]

dude, welcome to my world - it will get worse unless you get it snipped - PT and herbs will only delay the enevitable...

[Jesset100]

Research these two
Cortisone shots

Radio Frequency Lesioning

[LeeH]

I spend hours on the computer every day. My back/neck issues were relieved by the purchase of a high quality, very adjustable office chair.

[The Gaijin]

Originally Posted by cmccuist

He sends me to a neuro-surgeon and he says it doesn't rise to the level of surgery, so he orders physical therapy.

Anyone else have this condition and what did you do for it? What PT do you get?

I think it's aggravated by sitting and staring in the computer screen all day.

Sitting all day is completely un-natural for human beings. Staring into a screen and pounding into a keyboard even less so. Since Adam and Eve (or the primordial goo) - this is a very, very recent state of affairs.

What has helped me is to consciously improve posture and ergonomics while seated; change the office chair every few weeks (got one from the board room, the breakout room, bosses office, you name it..); take breaks - walk and stretch out hourly; use different sleeping positions; invest in a top quality mattress; and most important - get in shape, lift some weights and be fit.

[madmmac]

Ruptured c-5 and herniated c-6. I only felt some relief if I put my arm above my head , bending it at the elbow with my hand behind my head when I was sitting in a chair.

Pt helped some. Used Celebrex for relief which worked excellent.

One of these 20 or so minutes a few times a day did wonders. Stayed away from surgery and am pretty much pain free for the last 8-9 years.

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