Hi,

This is my first time on this website so I will try to me specific but not too detailed with my question. At the end of February I lifted something really heavy and the next day got out of bed and couldn't move my neck, extreme pain. That week I had to continue to lift heavy luggage twice so I am sure it didnt help. The pain went away and 2 wks later went for a short run and my left forearm went ice cold...I got the mri and it said that I had a large C5 disc herniation and that it eventually could have mass effect on my C6 nerve.....so my doc referred me to PT and I didnt start that until April. (In the meantime I went out all day in the middle of march wore high shoes and every morning since 3/18 my feet are tingling when I first wake up only lasted for 5 mins....) So beyond the feet tingling in the morning and left forearm when fast walking I didnt feel anything.
I began PT on a Tuesday they used a heat ultrasound and did repetitive neck motions to try to get the disc to push back into place. They also did this one motion with the hands and tilted my head ALL the way to the left ( they called it traction but it seemed like a chiropractic move?) I went to them Tues and Wed...on wed afternoon when I was repeating the exercises they gave me, I suddenly felt tingles, wandering coldness (parathesia) throughout both of my arms, neck and face...I was nervous and the next morning when I woke up it got worse...it was still all over my arms, face, neck and it was in my chest and running up and down my back! I went back to the pt and they called my doctor and I had to go to the ER...they gave me steroids to reduce the inflammation. Just got my cervical MRI and now it states that I have a moderate paracentral lateral disc protrusion at the C5-6 which appears to encroach upon the left neural foramen. I head to the ortho tom and neurosurgeon on Thurs. It has been 2 weeks since the er and the sensations have diminished although I still feel it in my arms and legs it is no longer constant(is that a good thing??)

So in summary has anyone had a similar experience?? Does it seem like the PT made it worse?? Has anyone had surgery....Oh and I am 28 years old by the way and want children soon...I am so angry right now that this has happened. If you could give me as much advice as possible I would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you so much.

--that the manipulations they tried caused further inappropriate movement of the disc. PT and traction should be done VERY carefully with people suffering cervical symptoms (some PT's/Chiro's won't work the neck area in such people).

You do sound like you're having more than foraminal symptoms--the foramina are where the nerve roots come through after branching through the spinal cord, and these nerve roots have very specific areas of the body they ennervate; your symptoms sound more global and suggest something was impinging on the spinal cord itself (though I'm glad the recent anti-inflammatory treatment reduced the symptoms). You do need a good surgical consult.

I see you've posted to the spinal disorders forum--good idea; lots of very knowledgable people over there.