Very Interesting. Where is your disc bulge? Mine is C5-6. I keep feeling that there is a connection between bulging discs and TOS. Dr. Jordan wanted to do a Brachial Plexus Nerve Block with Pulsed Radiofrequency to help with the nerve pain in my arm also, but after I saw him last that pain has not been too bad. I didnt go through with it,because I was not convinced and it scared me a little. Also there is not that much research on it.

The Facet block he recommended is for my disc also to see if some of the pain is coming from there. He thinks Cervical epidurals should be the last thing because they are more risky.Did you do the epidural and facet block together? Who did them for you? Did it make your TOS symptoms worse?

My neck MRI from August 2011 showed a disc bulge also at C5/C6. But a redid the MRI recently (April 2012) and there was no indication of the bulge. According to my doctors, discs regenerate over time so I guess that's what happened. I had the epidural done first in December 2011. After that didn't help, I did an EMG which came back negative. My doctor said that medial branch nerve damage does not usually show on the EMG so he convinced me to get the facet block (in January 2012) to see if it helps and to confirm his diagnosis for Cervical Facet Syndrome. Because it gave me some relief I did the ablation in February.

The doctor who did these in NJ (as I am from NY). After I went back to him for follow-up to tell him it didn't help, he told me to go to physical therapy (for the second time). I went for 10 weeks and I got worse. So I am not sure if the epidural or block particularly made me worse, or the physical therapy or the combination of all this. But I am much more worse now. But on my follow up after 4 weeks of physical therapy, the same doctor told me I was faking my pain (in better words) and that he had no idea what to do next. The entire time he was also only focused on my neck and told me he did not know where my right shoulder, arm and hand pain or the pain in my occipital lobes was coming from.

The epidural is basically a lot of steroids injected into your cervical spine. The block is usually either a numbing medication, steroid, or a combination from what I was told. Even if you are able to confirm that the bulge may be causing some of your symptoms, I don't believe these procedures can make you entirely sure.

My current doctor is also having me do a block to my brachial plexus (lower trunk). I am going ahead with it next week to see if my cervical ribs are compressing my lower trunk since that is what he believes (and I need some answers).

Let me know if you have any other questions.

hmm, thats interesting too. I had my MRI in June 2011. I have not repeated it, but maybe I'll check into that before doing any more injections. I dont know how many my insurance will cover.
Good Luck-Let me know how the block works for you

I got the BP block to the lower trunk yesterday. Today I am still in pain after being completely numb until this morning. However, I felt 10-20% relief in my arm and hand. My anesthesiologist wants me to wait until tomorrow to see how I feel after the pain from the injection site wears off (I am having a lot of pain in my collar bone, side of my neck and shoulder). Clearly there is more than just something in my BP going on, so I have to figure out the next step. But I think it's good that you are trying to rule out your disc first and holding off on the BP block for now since your shoulder pain is worse. When you did the scalene block, where did you feel relief? I am so confused about what could be the source of my shoulder and neck pain since I don't have any disc issues.

Hi Parbie,Thats good you feel relief,give it some time. It took me 2 weeks to feel better after the botox. I have bad shoulder and neck pain too and I really dont think its from the disc,and alot of my dr's dont either but theres no way to know for sure without some of these diagnostic tests. In your case it probably is the BP compression, alot of TOS sufferers have this type of pain. The muscles and nerves get inflamed from the BP compression so it could be the source of your pain.My PT is really helping with this with Rib Mobilization. I may get the disc injection just to rule it out,also he stimulates the nerve to see if it recreates the pain.but not sure when.

When I got the scalene block, I really didnt get much releif. If I did it was just for a few minutes.I remeber my scalpula pain coming back in the car on the way home. When he did the 90 degree hand test my pain was better after than before,but the problem is I wasn't in that much pain when I took it, The Dr. thinks it was positive, but I'm not so sure. I may have to repeat it if I decide to go for surgery.

Did you get Radiofrequency or just the block?

I believe my rotator cuff bursitis/tendonitis was secondary to but a result of my TOS. AC joint cortisone injections have given me significant relief (2-3 months) of much of the shoulder pain each time I've had it.

http://www.shoulderinstitute.co.za/p...ECTIONS_WM.pdf

How long are you restricted from driving?

It sounds like your BP block may be the same as the anesthetic block they do for outpatient hand surgeries. I'm very curious as to what relief (if any) you experience over the next few days.

Marc I think its the same BP Nerve Block that Dr. Jordan had talked to me about last time.

I wonder if it can provide relief for post-op patients as well? I don't think I need it now but maybe it could have helped me with the nerve pain that lasted weeks after my left side rib resection and neurolysis.