Cervical bulging discs and headaches

Laenini

I had a constant headache for over 10 years. It waxed and waned, but never, ever totally went away. It went from my neck up the back of my head, over the top and to my forehead. Sometimes I'd have some focal pain in my left temple too. Additionally, I had severe pain under my shoulder blades, down my right arm, numbness in my hands and feet, and towards the end some trouble urinating. My doctor blew me off several times over the years when I asked for help with my headaches, neck and upper back pain. He told me I needed to learn better stress management and find a less stressful job. I finally begged him for an MRI of my neck this fall. I had 3 bulging disc/osteophyte complexes from C3-C6, with severe spinal cord stenosis at C4/5. I had a C4/5 ACDF on 11/15/2006. When I woke up from the anesthesia literally my constant headache was gone, and (knock on wood) it still has not returned! So yes, I believe bulging discs in the C-spine can cause headaches. I assume you have had an MRI? You should maybe discuss the headaches further with your doctor.
Good Luck!

Phoenix

Dear Laenini,

Thanks for responding. I will definitely share the information with my doctor, as I see him this week. You have been very helpful in my time of uncertainty.

The MRI I had did reveal bulging discs from c3-c5. There is mild changing pf cervical spondylosis causing right neuroforaminal narrowing at c3-c4 and diffuse disc bulging at the c4-c5 disc space. There is also straightening of the normal cervical lordosis.

I was involved in a MVA on July 27, 2005 and it has been over 17 months of pain to varying degrees. Along with the headaches, I am having lapses in memory, which does not help with the other injuries that I sustained.

Take care
God Bless
FTM

feelbad

did you happen to suffer any sort of an actual head or brain injury with the accident?just wondering.headaches can most definitely be stemming from the c spine.i get them too.some can stem from just the intesity of the muscle which when they get irritated by the nerves within the c spine,will tend to tighten and knot into what are called trigger points?i get actual trigger point injections in the base of my skull on down thru both shoulder blades just for the pain relief in those areas and to cool down the headaches i will get from just my c spine nerve issues and the muscle crap.you also can get them from the nerve damage alone too.there are a couple of cranials that pass down from the head into the c spine and then loop back up into the head again.so anything causing problems in the c spine,depending on exactly what is affected can cause a whole lotta problems in the head itself too.its all great fun.

you just to also make sure that there wasn't some sort of a head injury or if there was,that everything is healing normally in there.good luck,Marcia

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3-22-01,herniated C-6-7
11-20-01,placement of hardware for failed fusion
9-22-03,removal of cavernous hemangioma that was inside spinal cord. Neuro damage to L hand L leg and R leg.