I wonder when they did the MRI, how far down the neck they go. He seems to have a lot of pain at the very base of the neck, I’m not sure where the cervical spine ends and joins the rest of the spine. When he rolls his left shoulder it makes this snapping sound – think an x-ray of his arm said something about crepitus and scapula. The nape of his neck is very painful, he says it feels like there’s a large nail being driven into it. He ran a big grinding machine at work that had a pneumatic assist for opening the left door that was never hooked up from the time the machine came, so 2,600 opening and closings of that door per week – I think that’s why the left side is worse.
Where the problem seems to be in diagnosis is that he’s likely had the stenosis developing over a period of time, and then he had the trauma lift of the tool box. I’m trying to find scholarly articles also that confirm that trauma can cause or heighten the stenosis. Compensation cut him off after a few weeks; the workplace said his injury didn’t match his job description….it’s a real nightmare and no income for over a year now. Comp. says they believe it’s a gradual onset injury.
If they think it’s arthritis then they’ll say everyone gets it – mind you this happened at 43 years of age, and no history of arthritis in the family. He can’t work at this kind of heavy job any more, and seems to be in pain from even grating cheese etc.
I’m wondering if I should get the disc, report and try to find a spine specialist here near London, Ontario Canada. I’m also wondering if he needs an mri of his upper back/nape of neck area.
The weakness/numbness is worse in the left arm and hand. This is a real ordeal, I appreciate your words.