No one can seem to tell me whats going on with me. So I will lay out my symptoms and what I've tried and see if anyone can relate. I don't feel my pain is typical and not one specialist has been able to get a bearing on it. Most say it's the disc or its not the disc, but that's it. What else can I try? What does this sound like?
Symptoms started with a stiff neck on 03/05/09
I immediately went a chiropractor, and within 2 weeks of manipulation and massage the stiff neck went away and I was left with the symptoms I have today.
(I really have the feeling that a bad chiropractor made this worse, and it probably would have went away in a week or two as just a stiff neck).
Symptoms / Pain:
1. Constant upper back pain 8 out of 10 days (T3ish T5ish) feels extremely sore, like I just got done doing the most intense workout. Its usually worse in the morning.
2. Constant neck pain 2 out of 10 days (basically when I don't feel the upper back pain). The neck pain is more of a nag then a pain and its across the back of the neck. Just a deep annoying nagging feeling.
Tests:
MRI 1:
1. mild C5/C6 disc herniation causing mild spinal stenosis with NO narrowing of the neural foraminal.
MRI 2:
1. mild C5/C6 disc herniation causing mild spinal stenosis with NO narrowing of the neural foraminal.
2. minimal C4/C5 disc herniation mildly compressing the thecal sac
3. minimal C6/C6 disc herniation.
EMG:
1. Bilateral C5/C6 radiculopathy
Discography C3-C7:
1. C4/C5 very reactive to pain - Cracked disc
2. C5/C6 reactive to pain - Grade 4 + complete disc herniation
3. C6/C7 Nonreactive to pain - Bulging disc, normal disc
Treatment:
1. Chiropractic manipulation, massage, and acupuncture tried pretty constant for 3 months
Result:
i. 1 out of 10 manipulations would help
ii. 1 out of 10 acupuncture sessions would help
2. 2 bouts of physical therapy
- First time 6 weeks of cervical retractions
Result:
No benefit
- Second time 6 weeks of upper back & shoulder strength
Little to no benefit
3. Cervical Epidural
- Result:
No benefit
4. Cervical bilateral facet injection
- Result:
No benefit
5. Cervical nucleoplasty (needle inserted in disc using radio waves to reduce disc herniation)
-Result:
i. C4/C5 disc herniation gone
ii. C5/C6 disc hernation still present
iii. No benefit
6. Lexapro ( incase anxiety played a role) 8 weeks
-Result:
i. No benefit
ii. I weened off
7. Naproxen & Mobic 6 weeks (at separate times)
- No benefit