reversal of cervical lordosis, disc bulge with mass on thecal sac
These are the results of my recent CT. reversal of the normal cervical lordosis and a 2-3 mm bulge at the C5-C6 with mild mass effect on the thecal sac. What does that mean???? Have been in Physical Therapy since 07. Ended up adding arm nerve pain, numbness and tingling. Getting nerve test in two weeks, Neurologist thinks it's Carpal tunnel??????? Neck pain continues and is severe during intercourse, due to the muscles contracting. Help!!
Re: reversal of cervical lordosis, disc bulge with mass on thecal sac
hello - fyi i don't believe you have a "mass" what they mean is that the bulging is causing an effect on your thecal sac. That means it is pressing. That's an odd thing to go looking for (carpal tunnel) when your MRI obviously shows a medium bulge. Maybe you were nervous and didn't really hear what NS was saying - maybe wants to be sure you do not also have carpal tunnel. The EMG will help figure things out hopefully. Where/what is your arm pain?
Re: reversal of cervical lordosis, disc bulge with mass on thecal sac
Hi, my arm pain is the back of my arm through the elbow and down the inside/top of the forearm to the thumb and forefinger. I am sure I heard him right about the carpal tunnel, he said my "symptom" description didn't fit the usual pattern....but that's my usual diagnosis, I don't fit the patterns, never have. Anyway, he prescribed pain meds and a low dose antidepressant, pain meds have decreased the pain in the arm, but not the neck....I hated the antidepressant and talked to my PCP and am stopping that....but the pain in the neck, literally the c5-c6 , still hurts. saw the PT today, he was hoping for better findings, but said at least it wasn't worse....but also said that exercises and stretching is pretty much all we can do for now.....nerve test is in a week and 1/2.....as usual I expect him to say nothing is wrong, yet my thumb/forefinger/forearm tingles 24/7, the pain is intermittant now in arm, and the neck still hurts. I'm scared to do anything or else it'll get agrivated. So I do easy stuff and nothing gets done around the house/yard....and so it goes.
thanks for the reply...any advise/questions I should ask the neurologist? Thanks.
Re: reversal of cervical lordosis, disc bulge with mass on thecal sac
Hi again, first, I bet if the others with C5-6 problems will chime in here, you will see that you do fit the profile for a C5-6 nerve root irritation. I am betting that you probably do not have carpal tunnel from what you wrote here.
If on the back of your arm you mean on the outside edge beginning from your top outer shoulder through your bicep area to outerside of arm, around backside of arm down to elbow - then back around front side over the middle/top center of your forearm down into your wrist - then fingers. I am going to tell you that you DO fit the profile. This is common and is the medial nerve. I used to get burning so bad on my top of my forearm I would need to keep ice on it constantly. I had a severe nerve root compression at C5-6.
Now I think it would be very rare for a carpal tunnel compression to back up all the way up your arm - not having it myself I don't know, but from what I do know about these problems, I think it would be rare.
So - I think you need to see a neurologist. Good luck, get a referral as I think your PCP has been doing fine, but it is time to see a specialist.
Re: reversal of cervical lordosis, disc bulge with mass on thecal sac
thanks for the info....it actually is the neurologist who thinks it's carpal tunnel. is it common for the nerve pain to decrease with pain meds and decreased use??? The pain has decreased but reoccurs with certain movements but the tingling is there constantly....then with the pain in the neck I'm very frustrated because they're saying "muscle spasm"....how do I continue to have pain from a muscle spasm when I've been in therapy for basically 6 months....also, after exercises and stretching and the therapist working on it with manual traction, shouldn't it get better???? I'm very frustrated and ready to give up...
, still hurts. saw the PT today, he was hoping for better findings, but said at least it wasn't worse....but also said that exercises and stretching is pretty much all we can do for now.....nerve test is in a week and 1/2.....as usual I expect him to say nothing is wrong, yet my thumb/forefinger/forearm tingles 24/7, the pain is intermittant now in arm, and the neck still hurts. I'm scared to do anything or else it'll get agrivated. So I do easy stuff and nothing gets done around the house/yard....and so it goes.
