C5-6 Question - Spinal Cord Disorders Message Board

Power95 · 04-08-2009, 11:47 AM

I have already had a fusion at C6-7. Most recently I was in a MVA while working and had to have another MRI of my neck. It showed another herniation at C5-6. I have gone through about 4 weeks of PT with my family doctor. I am now seeing a neurosurgeon, who has ordered another 6 weeks of PT. I am getting a major tingling and burning through my left shoulder blade (Rhomboids - Major and Minor), radiating into my triceps and then down into my elbow. I also get nagging headaches that last days at a time. My neurosurgeon does not feel there is any nerve damage but something does not feel right especially when the pain and sensation hits unexpectedly. I don't want to misjudge anything and question my doctors but this is a workers' comp injury. I just hope I am not getting a run around. Please give me your thoughts on what I should do.

jennybyc · 04-08-2009, 02:18 PM

Most of the pain you feel seems to be associated with your muscles, not nerves. And muscles in spasm can cause that tingling and electric shock sensations. I know from my son being in a bad MVA at 18 that it took months for the muscles to heal. Doc told us that muscle fibers are one of the slowest to heal in the entire body as they are very long. He said to expect a full recovery to take 8 months and he was right on the money. He did about 10 weeks of PT and then did exercises at school(I hope he did)and was fine by the time he came home again.

So give yourself some time. Signs of nerve damage would be of 2 types. Impingement(pinching) causes pain...lots of pain down a particular nerve pathway. look up a Dermatome Map that shows you where each nerve goes. the other sign of nerve damage is loss of function, numbness, tingling, and very little pain. A damaged nerve screams, a dying nerve is silent so make sure to report any numbness or not being able to use hand like you used to. If I recall, C5-6 affects the index and thumb(have to check my map). But the biggest thing to be aware of is spinal cord compression and I guess the neurosurgeon didn't see that. That is insidious paralysis and at C5-6 it would be your legs and well as your arms. Watch for difficulty walking and no pain. the spinal cord, like the brain, has no pain fibers so you don't feel the compression.

Good luck and gentle hugs.............Jenny(fused from C3 to T1 due to cervical spondylosis with mylopathy and paralysis).

Power95 · 04-08-2009, 06:08 PM

Well I checked out the Dermatome Map and it seems to be showing the same pathway I spoke of earlier, especially C-6. Also, the MRI seems to show a significant herniation at C5-6. My accident was over six months ago and earlier symptoms did seem to be muscular but things have changed significantly over the past two months. In my opinion and sufferer of a previous cervical injury, which required a fusion, this does not feel muscular to me. There is no knotting or tightening. The sensation seems to be triggered and the quickness and sharpness is what I am concerned about most. Thanks for your insight.

PNo · 04-08-2009, 08:55 PM

Hi Power - it does sound to be nerve type response. One of my levels that was bad was C5-6 and you describe it exactly. I had nerve root compression at that level and I did have perm damage but the symptoms were the same. You do not have to have "nerve damage" to have the sensations you are having. The bulge can be irritating the nerve roots - or there even could be a minor tear or leak they cannot see, leaking disc material and causing inflammation. What you are describing is not muscular it is radiculopathy. If you check the dermatome map I bet you can directly map it to your arm. C5-6 is a very obvious route.

Do you have the exact text from your MRI? I am thinking it says you have a bulge on the left and possibly in the nerual formin? Let me know what it says, can't tell how bad it is without that text!

I had burning that started in the outside of the shoulder, down the outside edge of the arm through the deltoid and tricep, came around the backside of the elbow and came up around the top of the forearm. I used ice on that forearm constantly, it can get to burning pretty bad. If those sensations start moving into your wrist you probably don't want to do much by PT except heat/ice treatments, maybe ultrasound if it doesn't irritate you. PT that involves stretching can flare it up more when it is nerve roots. Stretching maybe avoided for a few weeks and see if it calms down. You know there is a medication that works good on those burning pains and that it called Neurontin. I would ask for Neurontin if this is pretty constant type pain. Otherwise how they are treating you is pretty standard from what I know about you now.

I will check back for your MRI text.

Power95 · 04-08-2009, 09:12 PM

Here is my MRI text: Congenital narrowing of the spinal canal. There are posterior osteophyte disk complexes most prominent at C5-6 resulting in moderate-to-severe spinal stenosis. There is flattening of the anterior aspect of the spinal cord. The spinal cord signal is normal. Bilateral neural foraminal narrowing most significant on the left at C3-4 (mild-right/moderate left) and C4-5 (moderate-to-severe left/mild-to-moderate right) and on the right at C5-6 (mild left/moderate right) .

Like I said in a previous post, my symptoms have seriously gone the other way the last two months. The MRI was done in November '08. I sure hope the PT has not made things worse. I greatly appreciate your help. It gives me a better understanding why I feel the way I feel and what might be the best treatment.