Hello Jt,

Welcome to lthis forum!!!

My thoughts - Find the very best spinal surgeon that you can in your area. Make an appointment to see that doctor, and do take your MRIs, etc with you. Then make an appointment with the 2nd doctor on your list. It is ALWAYS a good idea to get several "second" opinions.

The "pins and needles" is concerning. I've been there. Ended up being a pinched nerve in my spine.

Jt, do remember that the last option is surgery. Do see what the "best" docs on your list say and recommend.

Take care. Let us know how things go for you.

RichT

Hi JT,
Had fusion in C5,C6 March 08. Help for a while with pins and needles but I have arithirtis too. I agree with RichT get a good doc. and then get a second opinion. Try all the options but if surgery is the answer go for it. It is exhausting to have the pins and needles all the time.
Best of Luck, Take Care.

Poollady

Diddo for me Rich. Sure does sound like a pinch, perhaps around C-3 or 4 maybe. I to agree to get maybe another MRI and with contrast this time if not done before. Nerve pinching is very hard to pick up on deep MRI even w/contrast. The way they do it is see how much of space you have between the area they target and see if that space is narrowing or compressed into the inner spinal canal if I am correct. Rich? Away, they are very hard to distingish at times and I is based on a possibility along with the symtoms and area that is being hit.
Actually, on the axel view of an MRI it really could be diffenitivly identified if the disc is showing a large shift toward the back neve roots I believe. But, in you case, it very well could be so slightly shifted and not be noticable yet. Dunno, I would get anyother opinion like Rich said.

Thanks to all. I guess since they told me last year if it didn't resolve
I would eventually need surgery due to the narrowing I was experiencing
this is now the "not resolving" time. I did have a second opinion at Mayo last year and what I took from that consultation was don't have surgery until absolutely necessary. My husband heard "you will eventually need
surgery". The second MRI after the fall seems to my inexperienced eye
to show a change but I guess I want the surgeon to say "Oh Yes it's time" and apparently he's leaving it up to me. Like someone said, even 1/4"
can make a huge difference in how you feel.

I can't resolve my ambivalence about the whole thing since before this happened last year I was extremely active and now I can't do much of anything. Oh well, hopefully it will all resolve afterwards.

Thanks again jt