Hi all, I am 36 yrs old and I am having a time here! I have 2 different issues going. In March I was diagnosed with 3 herniated disc in my neck w/degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis and a pinched nerve between C5-C6 that is causing tingling down my right upper extremities. The tingling gets in my scalp and facial area also. On Oct 4th I had to have an MRI of my lumbar spine and found out I also now have a herniated disc @ L5 that is pinching a nerve so now I have tingling down my leg now as well. My whole right side is just a mess. As far as I know I don't have any nerve damage. I have been dealing w/my neck issues almost a yr now. I have had 2 injections done so far in the neck. I got some relief with the first injection. I went for a nerve block injection but I have not had any relief. The tingling is still there. I have bad days and worse days. The tingling outweighs the pain for the most part!! Very frustrating! I don't want to keep getting the injections and I really don't want surgery because I am afraid of more pain and suffering. Not sure what to do because I am too young. My dad has all this stuff and then some. So I can say I got mine honest. Any suggestions would be helpful. :confused:

Hi all, I am 36 yrs old and I am having a time here! I have 2 different issues going. In March I was diagnosed with 3 herniated disc in my neck w/degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis and a pinched nerve between C5-C6 that is causing tingling down my right upper extremities. The tingling gets in my scalp and facial area also. On Oct 4th I had to have an MRI of my lumbar spine and found out I also now have a herniated disc @ L5 that is pinching a nerve so now I have tingling down my leg now as well. My whole right side is just a mess. As far as I know I don't have any nerve damage. I have been dealing w/my neck issues almost a yr now. I have had 2 injections done so far in the neck. I got some relief with the first injection. I went for a nerve block injection but I have not had any relief. The tingling is still there. I have bad days and worse days. The tingling outweighs the pain for the most part!! Very frustrating! I don't want to keep getting the injections and I really don't want surgery because I am afraid of more pain and suffering. Not sure what to do because I am too young. My dad has all this stuff and then some. So I can say I got mine honest. Any suggestions would be helpful. :confused:


Hello and I am so sorry you are in so much pain. I don't know what the Dr.'s have suggested you do. However, I do know you cannot let a pinched nerve go unattended to. It can eventually cause permanent damage.

I am not too fond of the injections. I had them in my low back, but not my neck. They never helped my back, but I have read a lot of neckies say they helped their neck. I know you are not supposed to have more than 3 a year, and that includes any steroids you might have to go on for other medical problems, like prednisone for example.

My 83 year old Aunt just had neck surgery. She was having all the arm pains, tingling, etc. that you are having and she was also being bothered with dizzy spells real bad. She is still in the hospital and is having PT and doing good so far.

I will suggest also that before you have surgery of any kind that you get a
2nd or even 3rd opinion. If they all agree that you Need surgery, then that is the point you need to start thinking about it.

I sure hope you will find the answer soon. I know it is frustrating. I have been dealing with my back/neck pain for 20 years.

Good Luck.
Mammy

Hi Ader,
Welcome to the boards, I'm sorry you arent feeling well. ::Waving at my girl Mammybojammy too :wave:

I had a fusion in my neck about 15 years ago, I have DDD and bulging discs below my fusion site, as well as a facet dysfunction in my lower back, so I know exactly what you are talking about!

You didnt mention if you were taking any prescription meds for your tingling problem, I dont know if you are aware but they have come out with some very effective meds specifically for nerve pain, and most if not all of them are non narcotic. You may want to ask your doctor about that.

I had some limited success with the injections, but hated the steroidals and wont let them give me that again. Now I am on a medication and exercise regimin and although I have lost a lot to my pain, I have a quality of life I once thought impossible.

Good luck, I'm sure you will meet lots of great people here and also get sound advice.

Your Friend, Fabby :cool:

The pain you are feeling is a form of nerve damage - the nerves are being affected by what is going on.

I chose surgery when I got to the point that the pain was overwhelming.

I totally understand where you are coming from now as I have some recurrent neck pain and am also facing back pain after surgery in 1993. When they hit at the same time you are just not sure what to do. In my case the neck is more bothersome so I'm pursuing that now through ESI's and will then see if I need to have it checked out for post operative changes. Then I'll deal with the back.

In most cases you can do a series of 3 injections twice a year. For my neck I had one two weeks ago, will do my second 10/31 and then 11/14 for the third.

when you have two parts of your spine that are bad off, the surgeon will usually help you decide if one needs to be treated surgically before the other. As always, do what you can to avoid surgery without too much risk of doing nerve damage. It's a gamble either way. You will know when you've had enough and if it's time for surgery.

If the injections work.. I would continue those.

I have to respectfully disagree with Kross' comment about nerves and damage. Nerves can be irritated/inflammed without "damage". But as with all things.. we are all made different and it takes different things to effect us in such ways that wouldn't necessarily effect another in the same way. Golly, that made sense when it was in my head, but necessarily in print. lol. I think you get my meaning.

True. My statement on damage was a little strong. What I probably should have said is that prolonged irritation/inflammation can lead to damage.

Thanks everyone for your replies. :D I am really not sure what to do at this point. :confused: I am having trouble with my right leg today. I just feel like it is "all there". It feels like it wants to "give out" on me and I am walking with a limp. I am scheduled to have an EMG on November 1. My Neuro Doc is going to test both sides, left and right. Depending on what she finds we will take it from there. I forgot to mention that I am on meds for the tingling (Neurontin) sometimes it works and sometimes it does not but it does make me :dizzy:. My neuro told me to continue taking it because even though I don't think it is working it does. I am also taking 1,000mg of antiflammatories as well for the inflammation. Maybe I have become immune to it. We shall see what Nov 1st brings. I have had the EMG testing before and some of it does not feel all that great.

A lot of people dont realize just how much the nerve meds help until they try to come off them, so your doctor is tell you the truth there.

Let us know how the test goes and what the doc thinks is the next step for you. hang in there.;)