Translating cervical spine MRI results

11-14-2010, 01:27 PM

LabGal......Thank you so much for your opinion and advice!!!! I appreciate it. It is very difficult to figure out which fingers are numb most of the time. It does feel like it is all of them. I will have to study them closely.

I have had the nerve conduction tests done twice on my feet and the results have come out normal but I don't understand as my feet feel very weird and tingly and have for years. My next has been bothering me for at least 11 years!!! My surgery was 7 years ago and I have never had any relief from the pain. I have never had any testing since my surgery in my arms. Probably about 9 years ago my arms were bothering me then but have got a lot worse. My left arm was worse than my right arm at that time. I had a muscle conduction test done at that time. I was told I had something called "Myotonia Congenita"!!! Nobody has ever heard of it. Apparently it is a inherited disorder and the doctor then said there was nothing they could do about it and every doctor I tell since just look at me like I have made it up.

Thank you so much for your advice and maybe I will start wearing my soft collar more. I wear it during the day sometimes when I am on the computer. I am not sure if I could wear it to bed but I might try. I just don't think that any doctor believed that my shoulder arm and hand pain is coming from my neck and structural problems when I really think that a lot of it is.

I originally I went to a "neurosurgeon" for my surgery which the second vertabrae never fused!!! It took him a year for him to realize that and by then the vertabrae above started to get arthritis and bone spurs on it and I am still walking around with a non fusion. The surgery as I said was 7 years ago. I went the wrong route and went to a Pain Management doctor for several injections and nerve ablations which helped until the nerves grew back in and then decided to go to a chiropractor for years and had 39 treatments on the DRX9000 machine and realized I was wasting my time and money and am still in chronic pain. I went to an orthopedic specialist this time who says he can help me but he was not the doctor for me. It is a long story but I need to find a compassionate a caring and good neurosurgeon this time.

Thanks everyone for listening. Take care.

Lyn AngelinMichigan

11-14-2010, 06:46 PM

It sounds like you have a lot of un-resolved problems with your neck and spine in general. You probably need a thorough workup with a really good spine neurosurgeon... one who is willing to fix a previous problem. My doc was performing a "do-over" just before my surgery, taking all the metal out of the guy who had what is termed a "Failed back" when surgery doesn't work. So, there are doctors out there who will consider your complications and previous surgeries. My neurologist also suggested a University Medical Center as a place to go if you have multiple issues... they have many experts "in-house" and won't look at you like you have two heads if you tell them about the myotonia congenita diagnosis. Also, I think I would avoid some of the more aggressive chiropractice maneuvers until you know what is going on.

Nerve conduction tests on your hands and arms would tell if you have significant sensory or motor impingement. Mine was sensory- not motor. Just as an FYI... when I wore the soft collar I got some pain relief, but not much change in my hand numbness/swelling. It was with the Aspen/hard collar that it was a noticeable difference. This collar sort of jacks your head up and supports it like mild traction. Let me know what you find out. Blessings and peace! Denise

11-15-2010, 06:48 AM

LabGal....Thanks Denise...I appreciate your advise and help so much.

Lyn Angel in Michigan

11-15-2010, 08:13 AM

ANGELINMICHIGAN

You really need to be seen by a neurosurgeon, however, you need to obtain an MRI with and without contrast of your cervical spine. I suffered similiar symptoms earlier this year. I was referred by my primary care doctor to a neurologist. If was original thought that I had MS and when it became clear that if was not MS, the neurologist ordered the Cervical Spine MRI and referred me to the neurosurgeon down the hall. I had the MRI, saw the surgeon two days later and surgery was completed the following week. I felt instance relief the day after surgery.
Call you primary care, request he/she ordered the MRI and request that he/she advocate for you to get an urgent appointment with the neurosurgeon

12-03-2010, 04:55 PM

Dear Jenny

I am from the Hartford area and may need surgery for same situation as in this thread. Can you recommend the doctor in Hartford that you were referring to in this message?

12-03-2010, 05:34 PM

Just answered your other post.

I didn't have my surgery in Hartford. I went to Boston to the New England Baptist Hospital to Dr. Eric Woodard. World class spine surgeon. Sorry to say, there is not a single spine surgeon, ortho or neuro, who I would recommend in Hartford. There is another person from Hartford here too and she went to Yale. I can get her doc's name too. She works in the medical field and wouldn't use her own hospital.

Sorry....but there just isn't anyone really, really good here. But I'll ask around if you can't or don't want to travel.

Jenny

12-04-2010, 04:40 AM

I am going to Dr. David Silvers from Hartford Hospital. He is with Bluth, Conway, etc. My brother in law is a doc at St. Francis, and I was thinking about a second opinion over there. For surgery the best name I've gotten around here is Dr. Chovitz (not sure of spelling) from St. Francis. Have you heard anything about him?

12-05-2010, 10:18 AM

dhwhite,

I used a neurosurgeon from St Elizabeth's in Boston. His name is Dr. van Horne. He was excellant and I am feeling great. He did say that healing does take some time and he was correct. I have been doing the physical therapy which includes spinal traction and I am actually finally feeling relief.
Please let me know how you are doing.

12-05-2010, 11:18 AM

Dear Brenda

Thanks for the info. I am also dealing with a mass on the thyroid that showed up on my MRI. I have been having symptoms of dizziness, head pressure, neck and back pain, some numbness. Also some eye stuff. The doctors have guessed at everything from Lyme to CSF leak. So far, no relief from my symptoms. Getting discouraged.

Translating cervical spine MRI results

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