C-spine Problems - Spinal Cord Disorders Message Board

Lynne45 · 05-14-2004, 07:20 PM

I've experienced nerve pain in my left chest, shoulder blade, and pinkie and ring finger on my left hand for 2 months. It especially hurts when I take a big breath. Prior to this, I've had "crunching" noices in my neck when I move my head plus a lot of stiffness and tension for about 3-4 years. I had an MRI this week that revealed mild bulges in C3-4 and C4-5; and 2 protrusions in C5-6 with moderate central canal stenosis and moderate foraminal stenosis, and 1 protrusion in C6-7. The MRI report also said I have degenerative discs all along my cervical and thoracic spine. I'm 45 years old. My follow-up appt. with the neurologist is not for 2 more weeks. How bad does this sound? What is the typical treatment for this? Can it be healed? What should I be doing in the meantime while waiting to return to the doctor? Any advice from someone who has experienced this would be greatly appreciated!

EmtShirl · 05-18-2004, 06:08 PM

Lynn ~

First off HI

I feel for you dear. I am 40 Y/O and in a similar boat as you. I had fusion done of C4-5 and C5-6 with a corpectomy at C5. I now have problems with ALL my remaining disc in my cervical spine. I am at the difficult stage with problems at C2-3, C3-4 and C6-7. I only unremarkable level is C7-T1.

I have many of the same symptoms as you have. I do get horrible headaches everyday. In fact my headaches never get better then a 4 or 5 going to 10 by 1:00 every afternoon of everyday.

I also have trouble breathing as well at first it was only when I turned my head to the left but now it is just getting worse right along. I have left chest and arm pain too. I have these in addition to the symptoms you have said.

I am in the same shoes as you and from what I am going through it does sound bad. If you would like to talk more please let me know. I don't want to bore you with information. I can tell you what I have been through, how long I have been going through this, what tests and procedures I have had and pretty much anything else you would like to know.

I am not to a point where I have 3 options at this time because we have tried everything there is to try that are less invasive. I have tried, PT, pain/other meds, injections (ESI, facet, etc.), nerve blocks and everything else.

I won't get into it all now but if you would like to talk more PLEASE let me know. I would love to help you to not feel so confused with all this. I have a lot more to share with you on the road I have taken to get where I am now.

I look forward to hearing from you.

EmtShirl

Lynne45 · 06-01-2004, 05:11 PM

My neurologist said that in order to have these symptoms, I would have to have a problem in the C8-T1 disc space, which is 2 levels lower than my problems. So, he said my degenerative discs and osteophytes would get worse, but there is no reason to send me to a neurosurgeon right now... possibly in a few years. An incidental finding on my MRI was a thyroid mass, which I'm having tests for now. So, I guess I'll just have to live with these weird symptoms for now.