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Excruciating chronic left side neck pain plus lumbar issues
Hi Everyone,
I just joined and this is my first post.
I am a 66 year old male that lives in Melbourne Aus.
Thankfully I found this discussion forum in order to get answers in regards to my deteriorating condition.
For the last 20 years I have been an active sportsman doing long distance bicycle riding and body building, but in the last 9 years I have been hit 3 times (2013,2015,2019) by negligent drivers while riding. These accidents have caused me severe whiplash and a multitude of fractures.
Each time I recovered and went back doing my riding passion.
4 months ago I noticed a pretty strong left sided pain around C6 therefore I went to see physiotherapists and osteopaths. But 4 weeks later at the end of August, this pain got even worse when one night while lying down on my loungeroom carpet, I got up and felt multiple crackles in the spine. It didn't hurt at the time therefore I went to sleep and woke up half hour later in extreme pain going from the left side of my neck, left side of my thoracic spine. I felt as if I was twisted. I was unable to sleep or sit. Standing provided some relief but I couldn't sleep.
Things slightly improved over the next 3 weeks.
I had some MRIs done at the end of August 2022 which showed:
C2/C3:
[No protuberant osteophyte, disc bulging, spinal canal stenosis or
neural foramina stenosis.]
C3/C4:
Minimal broad base central and bilateral lateral disc bulging with
associated minimal right intervertebral foramina stenosis
C4/C5:
Broad-based central and right lateral disc bulging with associated
moderate right intervertebral foraminal stenosis
C5/C6:
Disc bulging resulting in moderate bilateral intervertebral foraminal
stenosis
C6/C7:
Right lateral/foraminal disc bulging resulting in moderate right
intervertebral foramina stenosis
C7/T1:
[No protuberant osteophyte, disc bulging, spinal canal stenosis or
neural foramina stenosis.]
Conclusion:
Multilevel disc bulging and multilevel intervertebral foraminal stenosis. To see the complete reports open the attached PDF.
I contacted TAC which in Australia stands for Transport Accident Commission. They are responsible for paying medical expenses for anyone who has been a victim of a transport accident. Every driver in Victoria pays a premium yearly when they renew their car registration.
I arranged an appointment here to see first and orthopaedic surgeon and then a neurosurgeon. The first specialist told me that I had C6 nerve root impingement and the second specialist reported facet joint syndrome in the neck.
The injury is defined as a mechanical injury.
I noticed a discrepancy between the 2 opinions which left me frustrated. None of the specialists can pin point the exact source of the pain. They both recommended pain management and I am currently on Endep 10, Catapress 100 and Targin 10/5 daily.
Also I was told that no operation for this condition was required and ultimately a fusion, if non invasive, minimally invasive therapies didn't work.
This maybe ok as a temporary solution, but it can't be a life long remedy, because these medicines have side effects and I can't even drive the car to the supermarket when I am drowsy.
In the mean time I had C6 nerve root cortisone injection at the hospital on 1 of DEC 2022, but it didn't work at all after 3 weeks.
I actually have more pain than ever before something like 30% more. I queried the hospital, but they told me that it was done correctly.
Just a few days ago I have had fresh, new MRIs of the cervical/thoracic spine and a bone scan of the whole spine.
Yesterday 23.12.2022, according to the pain management specialist and the neuro surgeon, they couldn't find a lot of difference compared to the previous MRIs taken in August. They were perplexed as to why I feel so much pain. They can't pinpoint the source of the pain.
This is not very re-assuring and I have to keep taking drugs for the next 6 weeks. If I don't take the medication I have extreme, 10 out 10 burning pain that starts around left of neck at C6 going through C7, T1, T2, T3. The pain is also spreading aggressively in the left of my trapezius muscle. I have referred pain in the left shoulder, left scapula, left bicep/triceps and in the little, medium, index finger and left thumb. Referred pain is also felt in the right but not as bad. I also get pain going into my left pec muscle but it is not related to the heart. My cardiologist told that I am fine there even though I can get high blood pressure when I am anxious and stressed out.
To make things worse I have also been getting left/right headaches, left ear ache, left sided head scalp numbness and dizziness from time to time in the last 2 months. Just 2 weeks ago I developed a ringing tone in my right ear which is hypersensitive to sounds. I am a total mess.
The mental depression has been really bad and I have been isolated at home because I am unable to enjoy life like I used to.
Recently when I sit and lie down I feel numbness in my legs and feet. When I stand the problems seems to disappear.
My main frustration is the lack of answers and solutions to fix these problems and two specialists can't agree on a course of action.
I have been doing a lot of research and learned that referred pain can be caused by pressure on neck functional nerves and by facet joints sensory nerves but I don't which one is the culprit. Not even the specialists know.
I am worried that if the compression is not removed in time from those nerves (assuming that it is nerve related) I may get a neuropathy and get paralysis.
My bladder/kidney/liver functions are currently fine.
I don't know if anyone in the Mayo community has come across this and knows something about it.
While searching I found this site which looks promising:
spineconnection org
They can fix a lot of spine related problems.
I haven't received the December MRIs/Bone Scan yet.
Thanks and regards
Alfred
summary of mri xray (summary-of-mri-xray.pdf)
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Hi! I had a fusion of c5 thru T1 in 1988. If there is a decrease in rotation of the neck it is mild and I don’t notice it. I think what happens is the vertebrae above and below the fusion compensate and begin rotating a bit more than pre operation.
I can drive, reverse the car. My fusion doesn’t limit my activity in any way.
There is always the question of whether a neurosurgeon or spine surgeon (sub specialist of orthopedic surgeons) should do your fusion. Both are qualified. My feeling is that you should go to the one with the most experience ( ask how many fusions they do a year), best outcomes ( ask what percentage of your fusion patients experience surgical complications). In the US many people feel it is safer to go to a large university hospital. Remember with this approach, the attending physician with the great track record will not actually perform the bulk of the surgery. They are teaching centers so neurosurgical residents or spine surgery fellows will actually be the ones with the scalpel. That being said, I still chose to go to a large teaching university (John’s Hopkins).
I occasionally feel mild stiffness and take ibuprofen for a day or two.
As far as whether or not it will help with your symptoms, I don’t know, I had the fusion for different problems.
Hope this answer to part of your question is helpful
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1 ReactionI am so sorry that you are going through this. I know all too well with this feels like I have been struggling with something very similar for over two years. Your MRI looks very similar to mine. Although I do have a failed fusion at C6-7. It appears the bone did not fuse properly. And I have a Slippage at the C 3-4. I was actually going to come on and ask for advice on my end. I have two neurosurgeons in town telling me I need a posterior fusion from the C 3-4 Down to T 1-2. One of the doctors from John Hopkins and opened a practice here. Two other neurosurgeons say they would only do an anterior approach C 3-4 and the C 6-7. I am so torn also, I don’t know what to do. Mine is radiating down pretty far in my right scapula . The most impressive surgeon that I’ve seen is the woman from John Hopkins , the drawback is she’s only been practicing for two years, But she has three fellowships and her husband who is a neurosurgeon as well, but concentrate on the brain will be operating with her. I really feel for you in your frustration, and I understand the mental aspect of it. Going from a very full An active life to what you are experiencing is very hard to say the least. My situation is the same. Wishing you well and look forward to finding out what you decide.
I’ve been suffering with C6 & C7. I’ve had some relief with steroid shots, but my arm and fingers still go numb and the pain comes back with too much movement. I have to sleep elevated on 3-4 pillows without turning my body or head to the side. I get temporary relief with a nerve blocker at night called Gabapentin.
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1 ReactionI could lay out my whole story but I just want to give you the name of a pain medication I have used for two years with no side effects. It's called suboxone or buprenorphine. It does not contain the part of the opiates that constipates you and you let a tablet dissolve under your tongue.
It takes the pain away in 10-15 minutes.
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4 ReactionsI would get a second opinion from another surgeon.
I went to Iowa Ortho in Des Moines, Iowa and saw Dr Schmitz.
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1 ReactionGet a second opinion
I live with chronic pain now
Read the side effects of acdf as well.
with 20 yrs of chronic neck pain and a new MRI for disc c4 to c6
and facet joint pain my Physiatrist said I dpn't want to get ACDF and i read you could have hardware problems side effects. dropped eye etc.
Only have acdf is needed with constatn arm pain docto told me so I live with pain and hte wamr weather does help. Id like ot move but family is here
I get throat pain also comes and goes.
PT is only good if you do a little at a time every other day I find.
compression could happen more if you do too much an d
Now I learneda lesson to not pull rubber bands for an mri that says bulging disc with osteophyites.
MY PT siad to use them gently but made me have a little nerve pain
fyi
You might see a minimally invasive spine surgeon. I had a brachial branch block that helped.
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1 ReactionThank you for your help.
I have already been taking temgesic 200 micrograms sublingual tablets. They do help but not always. They do have sideeffects like massive drowsyness and hallucinations in my case. I try to keep active as suggested by my physiotherapist but everytime I move I always get sore. My physio told me that it is better to move a bit rather than doing nothing. He told me that as we age our muscles become deconditioned.
Best regards
Alfred
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1 ReactionHi,
Two neurosurgeons in Australia (this is where I live) told me not to get operated. This is only required in extreme cases such as no bladder function or incontinence.
I was told that the ACDF may stabilize the neck but they could not guarantee that I would be pain free because now the CNS has become too sensitized and a lot of pain may be nociplastic rather than nociceptive. I try to walk, superlight gym exercises and exercise bike.
Twice I tried to get nerve blocks here through pain management but they denied their services saying that my case was too complex.
I made a big mistake in 2023 going to see neurosurgeon Dr Ara Deukmejan at the Deukspine Institute in Melbourne Florida. He performed a decompression laser surgery on my left C5-C6, C6-C7 discs and bilateral C5-T1 rhizotomies. This surgery left me with a dropped head for over a year and a bump at the rear of my neck that I did not have before surgery. His surgery has severely restricted the neck tilt back. It feels as if there is something blocking the backward movement. I paid him $72K USD. What a ripoff! Also he has made me worse than before. I wish that I never went there.
Anyway it is like water under the bridge.
This is my latest cervical spine MRI from July 2025:
Report
MRI - CERVICAL SPINE (Dates are in australian format IE Day/Month/Year)
Clinical:
Neck pain and shooting pain to right side.
Technique:
T1, T2, fat saturated and oblique sequences of the cervical spine with comparison made to patient's prior study of 19/04/2024.
Findings:
Generalised straightening of the normal cervical lordosis is noted and is unchanged from prior. No fracture nor aggressive marrow signal abnormality.
Craniocervical junction is within normal limits. Mild degeneration of the atlanto-odontoid articulation. Foramen magnum is capacious. Flattening of the ventral thecal sac at C4/5 but no site of significant cord compression or cord signal abnormality. Mild curvature towards the lower cervical spine convex towards the right, however, this is associated with a more
prominent appearing thoracic curvature towards the left which is incompletely imaged though I do note presence of a thoracic scoliosis towards the left side on prior MRI study of 21/12/2022.
T2 hyperintense lesion in the left upper thoracic paravertebral region measuring approximately 24 x 20mm, which is similar in size and location to the MRI thoracic spine from December 2022 and overall is most favoured to reflect a nerve sheath tumour at this location. This is also not significantly changed in appearance comparing to the more recent MRI cervical spine 19/04/2024.
C2/3:
No canal or foraminal stenosis. Mild facetal degeneration.
C3/4:
Uncovertebral joint disc-osteophyte complexes noted bilaterally, slightly more prominent on the right side and there is also mild bilateral facetal arthropathy. MOderate right and mild left foraminal stenosis.
C4/5: Moderate bilateral uncovertebral joint disc osteophyte complexes. Minor facetal degeneration. No canal stenosis, however, moderate bilateral foraminal stenoses are noted, slightly more pronounced on the right side with compression upon both C5 nerve roots.
C5/6:
Minor uncovertebral joint osteophytosis. Facetal degeneration is also noted, more so on the left side. No canal stenosis. Moderate left and mild right foraminal stenosis. Mild compression upon the C6 nerve roots, more so on the left side.
Patient Study Date/Time
30/07/2025 10:13
C6/7:
Uncovertebral joint disc-osteophyte complexes noted though larger on the right side. Mild facetal degeneration. No canal stenosis. Moderately severe right and moderate left foraminal stenosis. Compression upon the right C7 nerve root.
C7/T1:
Moderately advanced bilateral facetal degenerative arthropathy and borderline anterolisthesis of C7 upon T1. Uncovertebral joint shallow disc osteophyte complexes are noted. No significant exiting nerve root compression.
Comment:
Generalised straightening of the normal cervical lordosis and multilevel degenerative spondylosis and facetal arthropathy are overall similar to the study from 19/04/2024. Multilevel uncovertebral joint disc-osteophyte complexes resulting in multilevel foraminal stenoses are also similar to prior. Left upper thoracic T2 hyperintense ovoid rounded lesion is again noted and is overall similar to prior, most consistent with a nerve sheath tumour.
Best regards
Alfred