Hello All:

I was just wondering if anyone can share any insights on my ongoing neck/upper back pain. I have had a lower neck/upper back pull for over a month now. It is especially painful when I am typing on my computer at work or looking down at my cell phone. I'm sure my not-so-great posture, and working at a computer desk for the last 15 years, may be what caused this. In any event, the pain hasn't gone away. Some days its pretty bad even if I hold my head up in a normal position (e.g., driving, sitting down eating or watching TV, etc.). I can certainly feel the pain when I extend my neck down or looking up in the sky. Side to side is fine - no pain issues with moving my neck side to side.

After first I thought it was a stiff neck, and that maybe I slept wrong. The pain is really at the base of the neck and even lower. I've had massage after massage and can never find the exact spot or "pressure point" that touches the source of the pain. It does feel like a tight muscle. It feels like a pain very deep inside near the spine, not on the muscle between the spine and shoulders. No accident or catastrophic events to my neck that I can think of, although my partner told me that sometimes, he observes my neck hyperextension when I sleeping. But I have never woken from sleep and felt any traumatic pain or stiffness as if I pulled or strained my neck.

After over a month of pain, I finally went to the doctor. I just got my MRI results today, which read in pertinent part:

1. C6-C7 Advanced Spondylosis with a 2mm disc bulge, there is uncovertebral hypotrophy with severe bilateral neural foraminal stenosis and no significant central canal stenosis

2. C5-C6 Moderate spondylosis with a 2 mm disc bulge and mild unconvertebral hypoertrophy with mild bilateral neural foraminal stenosis and no significant central canal stenosis.

I am 39 years old and otherwise in good health. No overweight. and I exercises regularly. They did blood work as well, which came with fine with no abnormalities.

My follow up visit with my internist is Friday, to discuss the MRI and next steps. I will admit upfront, I have no idea what any of this means other than the obvious terms "disc bulge". Is sounds bad. Can anyone shed any light on this, based on their experiences and knowledge? Is surgery likely? Is this a case of conservative pain management? Is this serious?