The pain from a disc tear or herniation can develop in the neck or the arm or both. You may have a very sensitive nerve root and a small herniation can cause pain in the arm. Did you have flexion- extension x-rays? These can reveal instability that the MRI won’t. Did you receive an epidural or selective nerve root block and if so, did you keep a pain diary for the first three hours after the injections? If you are not sure- please see the sections on epidural/ selective nerve root blocks and the pain diary on the web site. By the sounds of it, you would not benefit from electrodiagnostic tests (EMG/NCV) so if those are suggested, the tests will probably not show anything. It sounds like you need a new set of eyes to look at you and render a diagnosis. Don’t be frustrated as it may take more than one doctor to give you an appropriate diagnosis.
Dr. Corenman
PLEASE REMEMBER, THIS FORUM IS MEANT TO PROVIDE GENERAL INFORMATION ON SPINE ANATOMY, CONDITIONS AND TREATMENTS. TO GET AN ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS, YOU MUST VISIT A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL IN PERSON.
Donald Corenman, MD, DC is a highly-regarded spine surgeon, considered an expert in the area of neck and back pain. Trained as both a Medical Doctor and Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Corenman earned academic appointments as Clinical Assistant Professor and Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and his research on spine surgery and rehabilitation has resulted in the publication of multiple peer-reviewed articles and two books.