I have been waking up in the middle of the night with both of my arms completely asleep. I can't even move to get out of bed and I'm afraid I could hurt myself. I sleep on my back or slightly on my left side but that would not cause both arms to be asleep. I have a bulging disc at C6-C7, but would that cause the severe numbness? The dr's don't think the disc is a problem, but I'm not sure.....does anyone have any insight?
That's how my disc started out. Involved in a 4 car accident. I was the 3rd vehicle pushed into the 4th. My arms were numb when I slept. I rotated from left to back to right sides to no avail, the numbness would return. I told the doc for 3 1/2 months each time I went to see him. "It's probably a piched nerve", he said. Initially, I didn't have extreme pain but the numbness was a real problem. I finally got so frusturated that after doc visit, I told him I wanted to see a specialist and who could he recommend. The neuro did an mri and was blown away at the significant herniation of C5-6. Thus, surgery six weeks later, fusion with cadaver bone and titanium plating. My advice to you is insist on an MRI. Hope this helps
Make them do an MRI. Yes the disc can be the problem. Did dr say why they thought it wasn't? Do you have other symptoms, pain, weakness at other times, or any other thing going on in your arms?
C6-7 could be pressing on nerve roots or cord, can cause numbness down your arm, at your deltoid, all the way to your hand.
You sleep on your back, my problems before surgery used to get irritated by sleeping positions, kinked neck etc. that can happen even on back. A very easy way to see if neck positions aggravate it is to sleep in a soft collar and see if it improves.
If this is a continual problem, like not just one or two random occurrences, then get to a neruo or a ortho spine guy! Take care.
I had 2 MRI's done due to neck pain and they blew off the bulging disc saying it wasn't a big deal. I have a lot of pain in my right arm and shoulder and all kinds of weird numbness and muscle weakness going on. I go to a chiropractor and he says the problem is the disc in C6 C7 which is causing most of my problems, but I can't seem to get the dr's to agree with me. I've been to my GP, Physical Therapy, and Ortho and am now seeing a neuro. Thank you for your replies!!!
I had surgery for C4-4, and C6-7 with all the hardware. My deltoids are still going numb and cramping. Sleeping seems to make it worse instead of better. It seems to me to be a discs problem or at least something is pinching your nerves. Did they check for a narrow spine or osteophites? Those things can pinch your nerves.
I just want to say ... maybe you're feeling better by now ... because your symptoms have found ME! I read this a couple days ago and ever since then, I have had strange numbness in both arms awaking me at night. I feel freaked out by this. I can point to picking up a large bag of dog food at the grocer's ... which I felt like I use my legs mostly to pick it up ... I guess one cannot be too careful.
I discussed this with my husband, and I was telling him how freaked out I am about this ... and he reminded me that I will probably have to have another surgery ... but I would like to wait as long as possible.
