[Columcille]

Hello, I'm new here.

Since about April of this year, I have experienced numbness in my hands following a "wheel barrel" race were I was walking on my hands.

My doctor began treating me for a pinched nerve in my neck with acupuncture and massage therapy. However, the symptoms have gotten worse. The numbness has progressed to swollen fingers, stiffness related pain, and now a kind of burning pain in my hands, that occaisionally moves up my arms. When this happens it is mind splitting pain. I have a hard time sleeping at night when it seems to act up.

This past week, I went and got an MRI and here are the results:

FINDINGS:

Alignment and osseous structures:
Straightening of the normal lordosis of the cervical spine, this indicates paraspinal muscle spasm. There is normal vertebral alignment. There is no obvious spondylolysis or listhesis. The visualized vertebrae demonstrate normal height and signal intensities. There are marginal small anterior osteophytes (spur) at the C5 to C7 vertebrae. The atlanto-axial joint space is normal.
Intervertebral disc spaces:
There are changes of disc desiccation throughout the cervical spine. The disc heights are normal.
Level by Level analysis:
C2-C3: There is no focal disc pathology, central canal stenosis or neural foraminal stenosis.
C3-C4: 2 mm broadbased right paracentral disc protrusion effaces the ventral thecal sac without central canal or neural foraminal stenosis.
C4-C5: There is no focal disc pathology, central canal stenosis or neural foraminal stenosis.
C5-C6: 2 mm broadbased posterior disc protrusion effaces the ventral thecal sac without central canal or neural foraminal stenosis.
C6-C7: There is no focal disc pathology, central canal stenosis or neural foraminal stenosis.
The cervical cord is normal in signal intensity.
Paravertebral soft tissue is unremarkable.

IMPRESSION:
1. Early degenerative change in the cervical spine with paraspinal muscle spasm. No obvious spondylolysis or listhesis.
2. At C3-C4, 2 mm broadbased right paracentral disc protrusion without central canal or neural foraminal stenosis.
3. At C5-C6, 2 mm broadbased posterior disc protrusion without central canal or neural foraminal stenosis.

So, I'm wondering...

1) Is this the cause of the condition in my hands?

2) If so, what kind of treatment should I seek?

3) If not, what could it be?

Thank you for your help.