[Hwatt47]

Hi I'm new on here ,I am ,,47and have had chronic pain for about 10 years ,I have seen slipped disc,and a displaced vertabre in the base of my spine ,,I was diagnosed by a neurologist with peripheral neuropathy,I have the cold,wet,numb,pins and needles in my feet ,more recently my knees are in agony and my legs feel like they won't support me,I also have the awful sensation of wetting myself ,I haven't I may add ,but it feels like I am constantly weeing,I went to the doctors the other day and she didn't seem to listen to me Said it was all in my head and gave me antidepressants,,I am now panicking going out or to work ,,is there anyone else experiencing this type of symptom..

[Jomar]

Do you have the written report for your spine?
Some of your symptoms can be from the spine if the nerve is impinged.
Or did the spine dr? say symptoms not related?

[Hwatt47]

I had the MRI on my lower spine done at the end of 2014 that's when they discovered the damage on my spine ,had pain injection in spine in january,,came of all my medication as didn't feel they were working and that's when I felt the sensations in my feet ,so went back to doctors ,so had another MRI of my brain and top of neck 2 weeks ago but still waiting results ,just wanting know if what I am feeling in my bladder is connected.

[zkrp01]

Originally Posted by Hwatt47

I had the MRI on my lower spine done at the end of 2014 that's when they discovered the damage on my spine ,had pain injection in spine in january,,came of all my medication as didn't feel they were working and that's when I felt the sensations in my feet ,so went back to doctors ,so had another MRI of my brain and top of neck 2 weeks ago but still waiting results ,just wanting know if what I am feeling in my bladder is connected.

There is a Neuropathy for almost any symptom you can come up with. I was DX Periferal plus Peroneal and had your symptoms along with balance and gait and heavy legs. The bladder sensations didn't last very long but weakened Illiosoaz muscles has lasted two years. A good Chiropractor helped me early on as symptoms were flying at me almost weekly. Good Luck, Ken in Texas.

[stillHoping]

Originally Posted by Hwatt47

I have seen slipped disc,and a displaced vertabre in the base of my spine ,,I was diagnosed by a neurologist with peripheral neuropathy,I have the cold,wet,numb,pins and needles in my feet ,more recently my knees are in agony and my legs feel like they won't support me,I also have the awful sensation of wetting myself ,I haven't I may add ,but it feels like I am constantly weeing, I went to the doctors the other day and she didn't seem to listen to me Said it was all in my head and gave me antidepressants,,I am now panicking going out or to work ,is there anyone else experiencing this type of symptom..

Hi, too many doctors doesn’t listen and this is very frustrating..
Have you done EMG or skin biopsy that confirms peripheral neuropathy ?

Originally Posted by Hwatt47

I had the MRI on my lower spine done at the end of 2014 that's when they discovered the damage on my spine ,had pain injection in spine in january,,came of all my medication as didn't feel they were working and that's when I felt the sensations in my feet ,so went back to doctors ,so had another MRI of my brain and top of neck 2 weeks ago but still waiting results ,just wanting know if what I am feeling in my bladder is connected.

Small fiber neuropathy (SFN) is a type of peripheral neuropathy that can be diagnosed by a skin biopsy. SFN can affect the sensory fibers and cause the sensory symptoms in the legs, and it can also affect the fibers of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) which controls the bladder.
I don't know whether the nerves that receive the sensation from the bladder can be affected by SFN.

The autonomic nervous fibers that controls the bladder path from the brain through the spinal cord and exits from the lower part of the spine. So another option might be that any damage along this path can affect the bladder.

Originally Posted by DavidHC

I've been led to think that mechanical issues in the cervical spine can't cause symptoms in the head and face - I have numbness, tingling, twitching and electrical current feelings on my face and head - but it seems like your image is claiming the contrary, at least with respect to certain symptoms. My MRI showed no signal change, but in two places there was mild cervical spine compression. Thanks.

Problems in the spine might affect the head. The sympathetic innervation of the head path through the spinal cord, so such problems affect sweating in the head, tears, saliva, constriction of blood vessels, pupils, etc.
Your facial sensory symptoms might be attributed to the trigeminal nerve. I’m not sure, as far as I remember the lower part of the trigeminal nerve is located in the upper cervical spine.
Do you feel these symptoms on one side of the face ? or is it symmetric ?
The trigeminal nerve has 3 branches.
When I had trigeminal neuralgia I felt the pain and other weird sensation only on one side of the face and the exact borders of each of these branches.

[DavidHC]

Thank you for your help, Still Hoping.

Well, it's all over really, not just on one side. Nose, ears, top of head, back, tongue, lips, etc. Tingling, numbness, electric currents.

I'm not sure whether it's a mechanical issue for me, or whether there is some overlap, because we do have the skin biopsy and know that I have SFN. The physicians seemed adamant that the cervical spine issues, mostly beginning at C2-3 but primarily lower down, could not be causing my mouth dryness, or all the other symptoms I know above.

What were your symptoms for trigeminal neuralgia like? I hope they've resolved. How are they now?

Originally Posted by stillHoping

Hi, too many doctors doesn’t listen and this is very frustrating..
Have you done EMG or skin biopsy that confirms peripheral neuropathy ?



Small fiber neuropathy (SFN) is a type of peripheral neuropathy that can be diagnosed by a skin biopsy. SFN can affect the sensory fibers and cause the sensory symptoms in the legs, and it can also affect the fibers of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) which controls the bladder.
I don't know whether the nerves that receive the sensation from the bladder can be affected by SFN.

The autonomic nervous fibers that controls the bladder path from the brain through the spinal cord and exits from the lower part of the spine. So another option might be that any damage along this path can affect the bladder.



Problems in the spine might affect the head. The sympathetic innervation of the head path through the spinal cord, so such problems affect sweating in the head, tears, saliva, constriction of blood vessels, pupils, etc.
Your facial sensory symptoms might be attributed to the trigeminal nerve. I’m not sure, as far as I remember the lower part of the trigeminal nerve is located in the upper cervical spine.
Do you feel these symptoms on one side of the face ? or is it symmetric ?
The trigeminal nerve has 3 branches.
When I had trigeminal neuralgia I felt the pain and other weird sensation only on one side of the face and the exact borders of each of these branches.

[pinkynose]

Originally Posted by Jo*mar

Do you have the written report for your spine?
Some of your symptoms can be from the spine if the nerve is impinged.
Or did the spine dr? say symptoms not related?

This was very useful for me. I have serious issues in L5-S1. I will bring up the information from the chart next month when I see the muscular skeletal doctor. Thanks!

[DavidHC]

Thank you for posting this. It's also helpful for me. I have a number of degenerative issues in my cervical spine. Where did you acquire this image from? I ask because I've been led to think that mechanical issues in the cervical spine can't cause symptoms in the head and face - I have numbness, tingling, twitching and electrical current feelings on my face and head - but it seems like your image is claiming the contrary, at least with respect to certain symptoms. My MRI showed no signal change, but in two places there was mild cervical spine compression. Thanks.

Originally Posted by Jo*mar

Do you have the written report for your spine?
Some of your symptoms can be from the spine if the nerve is impinged.
Or did the spine dr? say symptoms not related?

[Jomar]

I found it doing a search for spine chart dermatomes. I believe most are chiropractic based.
here is a results page of them -
https://www.google.com/search?q=spin...w=1360&bih=624


If you have mostly mild spine issues, soft tissue can cause quite a bit of pain/symptoms.
triggerpoints can cause referred pain /symptoms
muscle imbalances or slight misalignments could be an issue also
even poor posture can create problems

If you haven't been assessed by highly qualified PT/ chiropractor, I would ask your MD for referral or seek one out yourself, just to have a better idea if some sx might be treatable with proper therapy.

[DavidHC]

Thank you. Well, I will say that I have been diagnosed with SFN via a skin biopsy, but I suppose it needn't be just the SFN causing issues. But if I'm not mistaken, the neuropathy or most of it, can't be caused in an upward trajectory. Or perhaps it can, via referred pain. Well, I'm working with the PT on the spine issues, and have lost about 50 lbs, so that's something. I'll look into this more. Thanks again for bringing it to my attention.

Originally Posted by Jo*mar

I found it doing a search for spine chart dermatomes. I believe most are chiropractic based.
here is a results page of them -
https://www.google.com/search?q=spin...w=1360&bih=624


If you have mostly mild spine issues, soft tissue can cause quite a bit of pain/symptoms.
triggerpoints can cause referred pain /symptoms
muscle imbalances or slight misalignments could be an issue also
even poor posture can create problems

If you haven't been assessed by highly qualified PT/ chiropractor, I would ask your MD for referral or seek one out yourself, just to have a better idea if some sx might be treatable with proper therapy.