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Member
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Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Paradise
Posts: 855
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Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Paradise
Posts: 855
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Quote:
Originally Posted by justsad
Arthritis in the cervical vertebrae has caused the canal to swell shut, so that an MRI in that area shows no opening at all. Does anyone here have this problem? I have no feeling in the tips of my fingers or thumbs. My hands, shoulders, arms, and upper back are in pain, and sometimes shooting pains from when I do something ( like lift something) is awful.
Surgical solutions are iffy/scary. No meds help. Phys therapy only worsens--why was this prescribed???????? 
No PT options remain & I'm not open to surgery. Is there anything else? |
Sorry to hear of your issues. PT was attempted because some get better with it. Others are ****** off about it, like you.
As far as what else is out there for you, NSAID's are probably like trying to sink a battleship with a pea shooter for you at this point. It depends on whether your problem is due to central stenosis, lateral stenosis or a combination of the two. Generically speaking, either an intralaminar epidural, trans-foraminal epidural or both may be an idea if your MRI and doc advocate this, otherwise it's kind of like having a rock in your shoe.....sometimes you just have to stop and take the rock out (surgical decompression). I had a C5-C6 discectomy and fusion after everything else failed and it was the cat's meow!
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