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
