Donald Corenman, MD, DC
Moderator
Post count: 8660

You do have significant degenerative changes in your neck. You have to define the pain generators as findings on an MRI may or may not be important to pain generation. I can tell you that the C3-4 level might contribute to local neck pain but will not cause arm pain as this nerve (C4) does not travel into the arm.

More likely than not, the arm pain is from the C6-7 level as this nerve radiates into the middle of the hand. You do have C5-6 foraminal narrowing and this too could cause arm and hand pain (normally into the thumb side of the hand however).

Inner arm pain and numbness into the small fingers could be from something else altogether. The ulnar nerve can become entrapped in the shoulder (thoracic outlet syndrome) or in the elbow (cubital tunnel syndrome). A good physical examination will deduce this and help to identify the pain generators.

Injections can help to predict the final surgical diagnosis as well as possibly give long term relief.

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.