Prolapsed Disc Or Not ???

[stone1]

Hi all,
I'll try & make this short as possible.

14 months ago i woke up with a burning sensation down my left arm tricep area and had pins & needles in my little & ring finger,i kept wanting to stretch my arm.Dr said i had a prolapsed disc.After sending me physio hospital etc i was discharged.The Pins & needles have disappeared now but i've noticed my shoulder cracks & pops a lot now. I've noticed that the pain comes back around the middle end of my working week but disappears when i have a few days off.I've been holding under my left arm rib area when it gets bad and noticed that if i press on my ribs/near bottom of my shoulder blade area i feel pain.It comes on more during the working week and makes it uncomfortable for me to sleep on my left side.

I've been back to the musculoskeletal clinic at my dr's today and mentioned this pain but all i get is its defiantly your disc in your neck,even though i've never had any pain there!!.He did a little work on 1 of my ribs and cracked my neck a few times which did set off the pins & needles in my arm. He then told me i wouldn't need to go back,which has really annoyed me as i've still got this pain!!.

I've had no scans at the hospital it just feels like im going around in circles.I know my condition doesn't seem as extreme as some i've read on here any advice??? I was going to leave in 2-3 weeks and hope what work he did on my rib today helps before deciding what to do.

[David- Maldon]

Hi

If your pain distribution looks anything like A or B below, it could be possible that you have trigger points in the latissimus dorsi. If so, it will be very tender on palpation where X marks the spot, and radiate down the arm to the hand.

This type of problem responds well to acupuncture, massage and stretching

[stone1]

Thanks for that I'd say A or B. However I can do pull ups etc and it causes no pain to my lats?? I mainly feel it when I'm trying to sleep or sitting down. I thought it could have been my serratus anterior but the Dr said that would cause me to have winged shoulder blades?

I'm going to give it a few weeks and see if it gets any better not holding out much as it's hurting at the moment then go back to the drs and ask to see another musculoskeletal specialist.

[gdosteopathy]

If the neck manipulating (cracking) bought on your neurological symptoms into your hand then

A) The practitioner should have checked this and not performed the manipulation
B) Have you been checked/tested/assessed for thoracic outlet syndrome
C) Did you not find out the results of the scans?

[SPINELF]

[quote=stone1;687502]Hi all, I'll try & make this short as possible.
14 months ago i woke up with a burning sensation down my left arm tricep area and had pins & needles in my little & ring finger,i kept wanting to stretch my arm.Dr said i had a prolapsed disc.After sending me physio hospital etc i was discharged.The Pins & needles have disappeared now but i've noticed my shoulder cracks & pops a lot now. I've noticed that the pain comes back around the middle end of my working week but disappears when i have a few days off.I've been holding under my left arm rib area when it gets bad and noticed that if i press on my ribs/near bottom of my shoulder blade area i feel pain.It comes on more during the working week and makes it uncomfortable for me to sleep on my left side. End quote))

Your symptoms sound similar to that of mine and BMW1 in his 'what's this twitching' thread, albeit his is after a lumber operation. I hope you don't mind me doing a little mail merging to save time.

BMW1 quote (((hi i've had 2 discectomys L4/L5 then 4 months ago i had L4/S1 and over the last couple of days i've noticed my finger twitching more and more, is this conected in anyway to the op, Quote from BMW

Stone, My experience tells me, that spine imbalance, disc prolapses, spsams and other 'C' & 'T' level spinal issues can cause the symptoms that you are experiencing, it need not be a perminant feature, so please don’t worry. I last lost complete motive power and feeling in my right arm, hand and fingers 6 months ago, the 10th time, and once again, my Osteopath brought these senses back to me, by re-balancing my whole body and opening up my ‘C’ & ‘T’ spine regions and sternum, it took 2 months, but it worked again!

I have vertibral cracking on a daily basis and I find that it's when the vertabae stop opening and becomes stiff that I experience the worst of the pain! So I try to keep as active as posible to keep them open!

Your symptoms could well be caused by a prolapsed disc, but this does not mean it is a fixed feature going forward. It could also be impacted by muscular spasms in the C6,7,8 % T1 levels. Read link:

http://www.assh.org/Public/HandCondi.../Numbness.aspx

Your end of the week symptom worsening, also suggests that this could also be a sign of stress, this as we all know, can make muscles stiffen up in the areas you are complaining of. A qualified phyisical therapist like Osteopaths, Chiropractors etc: would need to assess you to give you a better understanding of the mechanics of your condition.
Loads of different therapists can be found on this excellent forum and they are well worth the money!

Best wishes

SPINELF

[stone1]

Originally Posted by gdosteopathy

If the neck manipulating (cracking) bought on your neurological symptoms into your hand then

A) The practitioner should have checked this and not performed the manipulation
B) Have you been checked/tested/assessed for thoracic outlet syndrome
C) Did you not find out the results of the scans?

Hi sorry for the delay in replying.
Well after i went to see the specialist at the doctors who tweaked my neck a little things are no better.Although im off work at the moment on hol for 2 weeks so my arms not in pain.I still find it difficult to sleep on my left side.I'm due back to work next week so i'll see if my arm gets gradually worse as the week goes on.

I've had no scans whatsoever or tests.All they seem to do is watch me stretching my arm etc.If it starts hurting again i'll be booking another appointment at the docs.All my doc said was take Paracetamol when it was hurting!! Paracetamol does hardly anything

[SPINELF]

As you said yourself Stone, the GP and Specialist have done nothing for you, please don't waste any more of your time with them, as they will probably just end up giving you stronger drugs. Find a good 'non invasive' Physical Thearapist in your area and try to stop the worst of this pain before it gets a hold.

Best wishes

SPINELF

[Alex Nielsen]

I am a sports massage therapist and therefore bias toward my profession.
It does sound that there is radicular involvement but what massage can do is relax those muscles that the nerves travel through and effectively releasing the obstructions.

Thoracic Outlet syndrome does sound likely and massaging scalenes/ pec minor may help.

Does the clicking occur over the top of the scapula? If it does, then it may be levator scapula and quite common.

Hope things improve,

Alex Nielsen

[stone1]

Just thought i'd update the thread.I've been back Dr's last week after being put on some drugs for 6-8 weeks that dull nerve pain which didn't help.I'm now going for a MRI scan on my neck as the Dr thinks its a disc still which is pressing on my nerve.I'm hoping they scan my left arm/shoulder at the same time does anybody have any past experience on this? will they just scan my neck and thats it?

I still have the clicking popping noise its at the top of my shoulder.I've been to the gym quite a lot recently and i've noticed i find it very hard when doing lateral raises with my left arm i get a pain all down my arm when slowly brining the weight down.

I'm also still having problems sleeping on my left side but can't locate the pain

[SPINELF]

Hiya Stone!

Please take it easy on the gym stuff until you have some answers, you may be doing more harm than good!

I am afraid that you will need to be 'asertive' with your Dr. and insist that he orders all the scans that you think you need to cover the areas where you are having problems. The Radiology Department will only carry out the scans that your Doctor orders, they will not change his order, for you on that day.

Best of luck


SPINELF

[stone1]

Well I'm still waiting to hear about the MRI scan but when I get conformation I'll ring the doctors to make sure it's not just my neck. I'm still having trouble with my arm not everyday but it always seems to be there. I've noticed through the gym that my left arm struggles with lateral raises with a pain down the back of my arm fingers to tricep to shoulder when bringing the weight down slowly & also when I bench press my left arm gets a little pain near my elbow joint and I suffer with pins and needles for the whole day afterwards

I've had about 2 hours sleep my left arm has been bugging me all night later in the week I'm going to isolate my triceps when I work out to see if it brings the pain on again since I worked out yesterday it's def upset the last two fingers on my left arm and I've noticed increased twitching around the side of my left elbow

[SPINELF]

I agree with Alex Nielson, I also think that you need to 'rest and relax' the problem levels! Based upon your continued symptoms, albeit eased, I would suggest you see a 'good massage/light manipulation' type therapist' to help treat this 'hard to get to' location, check out the HP for therapists in your area!

Your increasing lack of sleep will not help your condition and will possibly increase your symptoms over time, So its time to deal with it Stone, don't waste any more of your life, please ring now!!

Let us know how you get on!

Best wishes

SPINELF

[stone1]

Ok time for a update.

I had a MRI Scan April on my neck which came back usual wear & tear nothing to worry about.Dr has since sent me to see a shoulder specialist.

After seeing the specialist yesterday i've a MRI Scan booked for this monday on my shoulder (I'm really hoping this shows something as the Dr keeps using the phrase it might be something you have to live with) with physio afterwards.

Specialist did the usual arm tests checking for loss of power etc all fine although i still get pain when raising my left arm laterally towards my head i can get level with my shoulder and then the pain start, raising it upwards to the front is fine however. He mentioned that my muscles in my shoulder aren't working as they should and therefore my shoulder is using muscles it shouldn't hence the lats hurting as there being overused ???? i don't believe this.Also heard he mention possible shoulder impingement and something about my MRI C6-C7 (he was talking to his dictaphone)

Had to stop gym due to a sudden loss of power in my left arm tricep shaking & i've now a twitch/spasm front side of my neck above my pec muscle thinking maybe a trapped nerve the dr didn't seem to worried.Although my trapezius muscle left side is tight & sore

I went to see the Chiropractor after seeing the specialist as i was hoping he could sort the twitch out in my neck he had a feel said all my neck was fine etc and not to worry about the twitch.He didn't want to go any further until i'd have my mri results back but he seems to think its my 2nd rib preventing the muscle from moving correctly and that its nothing to do with my shoulder .He also said to get back to the gym and work through the pain I can't believe i still had to pay full price for this session he didn't bloody do anything.I also told him i'dbeen foam rolling & doing stretches everyday he mentioned that maybe it was time to just forget about doing them and say enough is enough and try and move on.I'm sorry i don't believe all this think positively rubbish i know when my bodys aching and not feeling any better!!

[SPINELF]

Ah yes Stone, I remember it well, the old 'you'll have to live with it' or 'it's one of those things' ploy. You would think that after 5 years in medical college and 3 on the specialty, they would not be so clueless!!

I also hope that your Physios are better than mine! When I first fell ill, I was fit, strong and healthy, so imagine my 'utter disbelief' when a 5ft, 12st, barrel chested Physio, who was sitting with her left leg under her bum and slouching over sideways, proceded to tell me how healthy eating, fitness and sitting posture were so important!!!! If so,
she should have been in more pain me!!!!!

I have had those neurological deficeits (arm) tests too Stone, 35 in fact, even though I have 'never once' complained of neurological deficeits, as being the main causes or symptoms of my condition!! During my last neurological defeceit test, the Doctor added a few 'moves of his own' and crippled me for 6 months!!!!!!
Although I can say, with all too much certainty, that issues eminating from the C6/7 can cause arm and hand pains, tingling, numbness and weaknesses. Getting an Osteopath to massage the area and do 'butterfly lifts' usually sort that out, in time.

I'm sorry to see your Chiro was rubbish! He showed no concern for your condition and worries and coming up with that diagnosis as he did, was pathetic!! Please don't give up on Osteopaths or Chiropractors yet though, just find a better one!
My Osteopaths have kept me going for 25 years, when all of the establishment medics 'gave up on me' and told me to live with it, retire and claim benefits, at the age of 28!! (I'm now 54)

The fact is Stone my old fruit, you know your own body better than anyone else, so if it helps, makes you feel better and allows you to function whilst you find an
effective treatment plan, then keep doing it and nuts to Medics!!!

Best wishes


SPINELF