Hello, I am hoping to find friends to talk to about my neck and back problems. I don't really have anyone to talk to, even my medical provider just says keep taking your pain meds.
I just had 3 MRI's all 3 parts of my spine. Results from the first 2 showed several multi layered budging discs and mild stenious. I won't know about the lumbar one until Thursday when I see my provider for her to give me the results.
What I want to know is if anyone knows what I am looking at. Is there treatment for this? My neck starts hurting and then I get a strange sickening headache. My right arm is getting very weak. I work at a dollar store and in the past couple of months I have had to run the register all the time. I have noticed lots of changes in my neck and arms. Could I be doing more damage?
I hope someone will help me, I need some emotional support too, thanks.

Hi Daiseys,

The questions are sometimes as complicated as the medical problems. There are a few folks here who may be able to help translate the jargon of your MRI reports (I'm sorry I'm not one of them), however, those reports are opinions based on how the diagnostician interprets the images, and they can vary depending on the skill and experience of the person operating the machine. Translation: Opinions can vary.

Treatment is no easier. There are options, but you are on a journey that may take quite some time (or not). The doctors will probably recommend physical therapy first - possibly chiropractic - massage, diet/weight loss (if that's pertinent), pain management (which can include medications, injections, lifestyle changes, other therapies dependent on the doctor/clinic), TENS, some type of implant (either medication or electrical signal) and probably a few other things I'm forgetting at the moment (but I'm sure others will add). Translation: There's a lot of possible treatments to try.

Lastly, and only after you've exhausted everything else, done a lot of research, and gotten several opinions, you may (or may not) consider surgery. This is/should be a last resort because it cannot be undone.

You've found a good place to ask & talk about these things. There's a lot of experience & wisdom reading & writing on these pages. Don't be afraid to ask about things you're told or that you read in other places.

However, we're not doctors here. The most important thing you can do for yourself is to find and establish relationships with a team of doctors and other medical professionals that you can trust and work with.

HTH and Best Wishes,

Doc

hang on! get as many opinions as possible before any talk of surgeries. i had 3 emg, discogram, 3 conflicting ENT doctors, umteem MRI's and same with CT scans, x-ray way more than I would like to have had in 3 lifetimes, a nuclear stress test just to mention a few I can remember. If I could do things differently I would have, like holistic healing. I along with a sister 2 years younger than myself are going through HELL she also suffers many skeletal problems her right hand has been replaced with plate and screws, and I at level c5/6 c6/7 first surgery I failed to fuse anterior, second posterior. It is only 4 months since the second one was done. I now have a plate in front and a cage in the back. I am not a success story, I suffer more now then ever. I feel your pain, I no it is hard at times, a good support system is first in my opinion, always have an advocate with you. And never go to doctors alone. I wish you comfort any way you can find it.

Hi there, and welcome.

I understand your pain, problems and frustrations also. I have suffered for years with my neck, arm, hand and finger pain. I've had 4 MRI's, 2 CT scans, Xrays, ultrasounds, EMG's, etc... I should 'glow' by now from all the radiation. After finding degenerative disc desease, 5 bulging discs with moderate to severe spinal stenosis, and bone spurs pushing on root nerves, I finally opted for surgery this past March (it's been almost 6 months) and I'm still in pain. Although my surgery helped some of my neck pain and movement issues, I still wake up every single day in pain and I still have severe nerve damage in my hand and fingers. I haven't returned to work after over a year and a half off. (Since I'm a graphic designer and need perfect control of my hand to do my job).

I tried everything before having surgery. Physio, accupuncture, reflexology, massages, meds, and nothing worked. The last resort was surgery and it did not fix all my pain. I still have time to heal, so all is not lost, but don't jump into surgery as a quick fix.

I had an anterior discetomy and fusion (at C5, C6, C7) with titanium plate and screws, and I will tell you it's a surgery from HELL! 8-1/2 weeks in a hard cervical collar, terrible swelling, trouble swallowing, horrible pain. Don't do it until you've exhausted all your options and get LOTS of opinions and learn as much as you can.

Surgeons are there to correct mechanical problems in our bodies, they can't heal nerves or fix nerve damage.

Trying to remain positive throughout the chronic pain is a struggle, I'm not able to do all the active things I did 3 years ago. I'm a young 40 year old mother of 2, and was very active and fit, but since these problems started I can no longer scuba dive, haven't been hiking or jogging or kayaking, but I've found other things that I can do instead, like walking and swimming. Focus on what you can do instead of what you can't. Get on the internet and google ACDF (anterior cervical discetomy with fusion) and learn about the different procedures. Try some holistic approaches first. Get a massage, try some yoga and meditation to keep you relaxed. Anything you can to keep your mind from focussing solely on the pain will help.

If you have any questions feel free to send me an email. I'm on here quite a bit.

Hope you find some answers and relief.

Take care,
Cathie

Hello- well I will just comment on the cash register stuff. Be very careful not to always do the same things the same way- ie repetitive motion . Try mixing up the way you process things at the cash resister such as pick up the item with your left hand instead of your right hand.