You sound almost identical to me. I'm a teacher-school ends 6/4/04. I have been dealing with neck pain since 11/2001 when it started for no reason at all as a crink in neck. Believed a chiro could "work it out." Saw a chiro until 5/2003 with no improvement--symptoms grad. worsened (from tingling, pain, tightness down arm). The chiro saw me 3x week, then 2, 1, etc; it got so I was afraid to be honest 'cause he would increase the visits--too expensive--no benefit. He refused to hear of medical referral. Anyhow, last May 2003, I fessed up to my primary MD who I see rarely (never sick) and he ref. for MRI which showed drastically diff. findings than the so-called chiro's plane x-ray. Family MD said I should have seen him sooner & ref to neurosurgeon. Last 7/11/03 neurosurgeon, after EMGs, dx'd carpal tunnel syndrome and did carpal tunnel release (no probs there). It made sense that CTS in wrist could produce symptoms in neck. I have computer occ. so I long ago had symptoms of CTS but it resolved upon teaching. I seemed to do well after that until 3/1/04 when it has been a real downhill slide-constant numbness, shoulder blade pain, etc. Went back to orig. neurosugeon (who is known as the "reluctant surgeon" among other doctors) last week, looked at MRI in '03 & said he still did not see any findings to cause my symptoms. The visit did not go well--I felt he was dismissive, did not listen to me & either did not believe me or wanted to save face having done the CTS surgery last summer. I guess my family MD had an inkling this might happen as when he re-referred me over spring break, he said that if neurosurg. did not address the neck problem surgically this time I was to call him ASAP & he would refer to another ortho/neck spec. that he prefers to use. Repeat MRI was done last Sat. and having laid for one last May and this May, totally diff. exp. I discovered I could not lay flat without intense agony on the MRI table with head in holder; left arm and thumb went numb and stayed numb nonstop for the entire scan. I did not say a word & suff. in silence as I told the tech. that I had worsening symptoms & it was imp. to get a scan to show what was going on. So now you have it - I return to neurosurg. tomorrow & hopefully he will make a decision. School ends 6/4/04 & I can't go through another year like this one. Good Luck & God Bless! Sorry this is so long--but this board has been a saving grace to know that other people have almost identical symptoms. I know it is not "all in my mind."