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Dr Corenman,
My apologies, I posted this in the wrong forum. Posting it correctly this time. Found your site after seeing your youtube videos and reading the forum, finally a ray of hope about a possible solution. Will really help me as I interact with doctors in India about my condition.
My original message below:
—-Hi Dr Corenman, is there a way to send you my MRI and other reports? An email address? I a male in his mid 30s, and have chronic pain after an accident a few years back. I fell on my face, left side from the back of a motorcycle. Pain is not reducing / body doesnt seem to be healing, and diagnosis of the whole thing remains unclear. I would appreciate any help as I really don’t seem to have a clear understanding of the issue. Based on your forum posts and other content, I seem to have a mild bulge in my C6-C7 (as was originally diagnosed) and also in C4-C5. I am no expert and would appreciate your thoughts if I could send you the MRIs by mail after getting copies from the hospital.
My symptoms as per your FAQ -please excuse any typos as I find it hard to type, my upper back/lower neck seizes up on the right.
What is the quality of the pain?
Hands:I’d put it as 5 on a scale of 1-10…tolerable, but very irritatingLower neck/Shoulder/upper back: 7…muscle just seizes up on the right side.
My symptoms become worse i am on te computer or cross my legs when lying down. At night they seem to worsen.
Is the pain burning, stabbing, sharp, shooting, dull, aching, electrical, gnawing or pins and needles?
mostly burning, aching and pins and needles. occasionally sharp.
in my left and right hands both, all over.
fingers especially.left foot is always vibrating. after i took a medicine, prescribed by a doctor, its reduced…foot vibration/electrical sensation.. its in the background but tolerable, and spikes when i sit on a chair or in the car etc.
medicine is methylcobalamine, alpa lipoleic acid, biotin, vitam b12 and folic acid.
big issue is shoulder seizes up, id rate it a 7 in pain, complete spasm, basically trapezius muscle, base of neck on right side to near the shoulder …it just seizes up. medicine doesnt reduce it.
Does the quality of pain change with activity?
pain picks up mostly when i am at the computer, or i am lying down on my side with a pillow. sitting has it worse then standing, and standing, my feet hurt or are somewhat sensitive but thats probably because of lack of exercise.
Is the skin hypersensitive to touch?
No
Are there associated skin changes like thickening, color change or nail changes? This is important in the shoulder, arm and hand.
my nails appear to be more brittle, and color is more blueish, but havent tracked it to be honest.
Percentage of Pain by Location
What is the percentage of pain in the neck vs. shoulder and arm?
This is important as lateral shoulder region can be typically associated with arm pain or nerve pain while posteriorshoulder pain can originate from neck or nerve sources. Don’t forget that the shoulder joint itself can cause pain.
Is it 80% neck vs. 20% shoulder and arm pain or the reverse? Is it 70/30, 60/40 or 50/50 (equal in both areas). This percentage number is quite valuable to determine what type of pain the disorder is causing. The pain may be all posterior shoulder (100%) or even only 100% in the hand (or both hands).
the distribution between my neck and shoulder vs my hands is like 50-50% but to be honest the neck hurts wen i turn it etc or is stiff, but my hands burn all the time.
i have grown used to pain and work through it, but the neck/shoulder pain are unstoppable. the muscle seizes up. so fingers hurt all the time, and neck/shoulder hurt when i sit down and attempt to use the computer, extending the hand to mouse or keyboard …seizes up on right side, and i am right handed.
Rate each area that you have pain. If the neck has 4-6 VAS, the shoulder has 0-2 VAS, and the arm has 8-10 VAS, make sure that is noted.
i dont know the VAS method but if a rank of 0-10 is employed,
i’d say neck has around 4, shoulder/upperback around 7 and hands around 4-5 too. neck becomes stiff and aches along with feet if i sit for more than 15 mins and lower neck/upperback/right side of trapezius portion just seizes up. hands left and right keep burning 24/7. sometimes both, sometimes one. since my back is seized up (upper) i cant do many exercises. fingers and feet hurt if i walk too fast or attempt to jog.Is there weakness associated with the pain?
Is the weakness due to pain inhibition (the muscle is weak from use due to pain) vs. neuropathic weakness (is muscle is
weak because the signal from the brain is interrupted due to a pinched nerve)?
Is there now an inability to lift the arm due to pain or to weakness?
Are certain activities more problematic like pushing away or throwing (due to weakness and not pain- such as a weak triceps muscle) or lifting due to a weak deltoid or biceps muscle?
i would say i have become weaker in terms of pulling things.. but it could be due to lack of exercise.. apart from walking my exercise regimen is non existent and even walking is occasional. my arms hurt if i lift them above my head and if i extend my arms at the shoulder and keep them akimbo, my back hurts (muscles)
Incoordination and Numbness
Are there now some noticeable problems with coordination and walking?
Do you find yourself unbalanced when you walk?
Do you “misstep” unintentionally much more than you use to do?
Do you have trouble keeping your balance in a pitch black room?
Has your handwriting changed?
Do you now have trouble picking up a dime off a counter, zipping a zipper or buttoning a button?
Do you find lightening type electrical charges down your spine if you tilt your head backwards?
Have your bowel and bladder function substantially changed in association with any of the above symptoms..
None of the above except handwriting, i find it hurts if i attempt to write for long periods, then again, it could be thati am fully a computer person now and havent written anything for around 8 years.
i tried the tennis in the sky method a few days back from the mckenzie neck exercises, basically tuck chin in, look towards the roof and move head sideways…when i moved head from side to side, i got severe dizziness and loss of movement control. went away though.
Onset and Length of Time Symptoms Have Been Present
How did the pain start?
Was it a gradual onset over years or was there one specific activity or injury that caused it?
When did that injury occur?
Describe the activity or action that brought on the pain. Was it a lifting injury, a bike accident or did the pain
onset come on gradually?
How long have the symptoms been present and have they changed in quality or intensity?
For example, did you lift something one year ago that caused neck pain and in the last month you have developed severe
arm pain that radiates down to the hand?
Five and a half years now since the issue became apparent.
Fell down from the back of a motorcycle, face down on the road, injuring the left side of my face, too fast for me to stop,
i was too tired/sleepy to even prevent it, and was trying to catch a bag that was falling off. the bike was going around 30 mph. i had some fractures around my left eye (plastic surgeon said around 5-7 fractures), and deep cuts which required stitches. i then developed a problem sleeping, and that night itself could not sleep due to neck pain. after chronic discomfort for around a year, istarted seeing doctors, and was told the disc bulge at c6-c7 was a probable cause but not a clear answer. after i started making notes and the pain became constant, and i went back to spinal specialists, one diagnosed it as possible whiplash, another said probably due to the minor bulge at c6-c7 in MRI.as things stand, its become worse since the past 3 years ?(been five years since the accident) as my sedentary lifestyle, thanks to this issue and high stress computer work, probably worsened my posture and also i have been unable to get proper diagnosis on the issue. a doctor told me i have significant anterior postural issue. as i type this, my left hand is burning and right shoulder/upper back are seizing up.
since i hurt my back down a staircase recently, i got another MRI done and CAT scan showed probable hairline fractures to transverse process at L1-L2. so i went back to doctor and on mentioning my issues with burning was prescribed medicines and isometrics.
upon taking the pill, within 1-2 hrs, my left foot’s intense tingling (basically buzzing vibration) reduces to a tolerable level. but my hand burning remains, upper back muscle seizing up remains.
I would appreciate any answers, insights on how to get you my MRI pics, whether they are sufficient and if my above symptoms show any evidence that its actually from nerve root compression at C5-C6 or C6-C7, or it could be any other issue. this issue has badly affected my life and forced me to curtail my activities. not being able to work on the computer or undertake any activities is another serious issue.
Left shoulder pain seems to be your most intense and impairing symptom. I am sure that the other symptoms are significant but I will focus on the shoulder.
Shoulder pain can originate from the neck or the shoulder. If it is the disc bulging, then radicular pain (nerve compression pain) could be the origin. Disc by themselves can refer pain to the shoulder. There does not have to be nerve compression.
Finally, the shoulder itself can cause pain from rotator cuff tears, shoulder bursitis, acromioclavicular joint disorders or the area between the shoulder blade and the ribs (snapping scapula syndrome).
The way to diagnose this disorder is to first have a thorough physical examination. This goes a long way to determine the origin of the pain generator. Then, diagnostic blocks will be very helpful. A nerve block that relieves your symptoms temporarily (see pain diary) or a shoulder injection to numb the area temporarily will diagnose the problem.
If no injection yields temporary relief and there is strong suspicion of disc pain radiating into the shoulder, a discogram can be performed to look for disc referral pain as the cause of your symptoms.
Good luck.
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.Thank you so much Dr. Really appreciate the time you put in to help us. Its my right upper back/shoulder that seizes up, so i presume whatever you have said above for the left, would still apply. My most recent MRI was a cervical screening so it does not have an axial view. To properly determine cause and effect should i also get that done or will a drs interpretation of the 4 sliced forward view (left to right) of my neck be sufficient as a first pass? I wish to share that with you to get your insights. Unforrunately the system they have may have deleted the ecopy of the actual MRI itself though i am seeing if i can get that.
Sorry-right side. Axial MRI views are necessary to determine the patiency of the foramen (foraminal stenosis).
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.Dear Dr. Corenman. I am having an Anterior Cervical Discectomy next month and I am quite scared as I am told the Surgeon cuts through the left hand side of my throat. It’s not the surgery itself I am worried about, it is when I wake up as I am told you can’t swallow or talk. I am worried I will be choking on my own saliva as I cannot swallow and of course my throat will be very sore. Unfortunately my own Dr wasn’t very forthcoming with advise on anything. He just told me not to worry and I would be ok. Can you give me any advice on this please. By the way I am having 2 discs done.
Thank you so kindly
Maureen Hanson
UKOoops sorry I think I posted this in the wrong place. I am new to forums, never done this before. Sorry.
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