Excruciating chronic left side neck pain plus lumbar issues

Hi jm1,

how are you?
Thanks for the helpful info.

It looks like Olympic Park Imaging in Melbourne have these MRI 3T machines you talked about. See attachment.
Web link: https://www.iop.net.au/

I have been at Olympic Park Imaging last month for my cortisone injections but I didn't have MRI scans there. I will have to ask the current MRI provider, that I have been using, to see what type of machine they use.

I have also employed the services of a neurologist, but the appointment is not until 20th of March 2023. It is very hard to get fast appointments currently due to the holiday season and the fact that they are very busy.

Last night I took my pain medication comprising of Endep, Pregabalin (Lyrica), Clonidine (Catapress), Diclofenac, Targin(Oxycodone/Naxolone) and 1/5 a Valium tablet. They helped me with the pain, falling asleep, but early this morning I felt a very deep, diffuse pain around the thoracic T3/T4 area which I have been feeling before for the last 10 days. As I said, 10 days ago I overextended my spine by bending down. Since this episode I am getting pain shooting in my legs, feet and toes on and off. I can still walk, but I limp due to the right lumbar spine L2/3, L3/4 nerve compression. I hope that you are right about the thoracic spine part getting better with time.

Unfortunately I can't help the anxiety and the depression. It is very hard to stay calm when you have so much pain. I have thoughts of impending doom.

I would love to go to the Mayo Clinic to be assessed for a solution to my problems, but I can't conceive how I am going to fly there with all this pain, especially in economy class.

I suppose that I could take very strong pain killers such as Palexia.
The second problem is that I am not financially able to pay for my ticket, my stay, the hospital, the doctors.

Lastly I am not vaccinated because I chose not to take part of a clinical trial, especially seeing what is happening now with the side effects.

The US will not let any non American citizen to come to the US without a vax passport even though the rest of my health is perfectly fine.
My kidneys, liver, heart, lungs are in good shape especially my heart/lungs because I used to do long distance road bike riding for the last 20 years IE 150km in a day sometimes.
I don't smoke and drink an occasional half glass of red wine with dinner.
My normal heat beat is between 45-48 beats per minute.

Anyway enough of me. I know that I can talk too much due to the constant frustration that I am in.

Thanks again.

Best regards

Alfred

I feel for you vward1969 because I know exactly how bad and excruciating it feels.

Currently, despite taking 50mg of Lyrica and Targin 10/5 , I am feeling horrible pain going through both sides of my neck and further down the upper mid spine. My groin is tight, my lower back is very painful and feel pain in the legs and the feet. Pain going through both shoulders, arms, hands, finger, arms and shoulders weakness. C5,C6,C7,C8 nerves under some pressure. I feel very anxious. In other words I am not managing the pain.
I live in Australia and have the same problems with the transport accident insurance not wanting to pay, delaying procedures approvals, underpaying for services and I have to pay for the gap even though I was a victim of a transport accident. This frustrates me a lot which in turn increases the pain. I feel that my doctors are useless because pain meds are the only thing offered. They haven't offered any therapies and my spine is deteriorating with time.
They are treating the symptoms but not the causes. I suppose that if your remove the cause you remove the pain. I am struggling daily. No social life, no watching movies, no driving. I feel isolated and helpless.

I hope that thing will improve for us both. I keep praying daily. 🙏

Best regards

Alfred

Hi, I just joined after reading your first post. Do you have access to accupuncture? Maybe could help hold you over until you see the new specialist? I have tried it 3 different times/3 different providers over the years for sciatica and neck pain with minimal help until yesterday. I just started again yesterday and found this morning I had more movement when turning to the left. I went to this provider a few years ago and got some relief, but stopped when my mother had surgery and I had to spend a lot of time in her home. How much water are you drinking? Most non-allopathic providers emphasize hydration for overall health and the only way to nourish those areas without their own blood supply. One Dr I follow suggests half your weight in ounces. Multiply your weight in kg by 2.2. This will also help with constipation. Also most of us our deficient in Magnesium and this can cause headache, muscle tension and constipation and it is used for so many other things. I highly suggest Mg citrate for constipation and starting slow. Never use the oxide form for supplements as we cannot metabolize that cheap form well. I am pretty sure you have muscle tightness from the bracing from pain, etc. Also I would be calling the specialists office frequently looking to see if there have been cancellations.

Anyone should be able to see the compression here. Also please let your providers know about your limp if you haven't done so already. Limping from pain and limping from nerve compression are two different things.

Hi Pamela35,

thank you for your reply.

I want to try acupuncture but I have to make sure that I find a really good acupuncturist near where I live in Melbourne. I can't drive due to the pain therefore I need someone to take me there as long as it is not too far. I haven't checked if the transport accident insurer will pay for this.
I drink about 1-1.5L of water daily which I struggle to drink because it makes me bloated and my IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) can get worse.

While I am writing to you I am feeling a burning fire on the left of the neck between C6 and T3 roughly. It may be caused by nerve compression, muscles, soft tissues. Also string pins and needles in my left hand index, middle and ring fingers. Some referred pain is happening on and off down in my feet.

I need a gentle physiotherapist to re-align my neck. I am a bit worried about chiros and osteos.

I have been taking Rose-hip tablets, magnesium, Vitamin D, Zinc and Turmeric.

Recently I haven't been able to manage my pain despite the medications.
I am putting a lot of pressure on my specialists to make them aware that the current plan is not working for me.

I feel like a zombie daily due to the effects of the drugs. I spend my day almost doing nothing for fear of getting worse pain. It has been like this for the last 2 weeks.

This is my recent cervical report:
Procedure Date: 28 January 2023 Report Date: 29 January 2023
Report: MRI CERVICAL SPINE
Clinical Details: Longstanding neck pain with left arm radiation, numbness, also right arm numbness and pain, both arms-referred pain.
Findings: Approximately 2mm retrolisthesis of C4 on C5 and 1.5mm retrolisthesis of the C5 on C6 vertebral body
noted. Multilevel loss of intervertebral disc space height in keeping with moderate-marked degenerative disc disease.
The craniocervical junction appears within normal limits.
C2/3 : No significant posterior disc protrusion, spinal canal or neural foraminal narrowing.
C3/4: Discophytic lipping associated with minor spinal canal and moderate right neural foraminal narrowing with contact of the exiting right C4 nerve root.
Mild left neural foraminal narrowing without appreciable contact of the exiting left C4 nerve root noted.
C4/5: Pseudo disc protrusion along with discophytic lipping associated with moderate left and mild right neural foraminal narrowing contacting the exiting left and impinging the exiting right C5 nerve root.
C5/6: Spondylolisthesis and uncovering of the intervertebral disc in conjunction with discophytic lipping associated with mild spinal canal narrowing along with moderate left neural foraminal narrowing seen impinging the exiting left C6 nerve root. Mild right neural foraminal narrowing contacting the exiting right
C6 nerve root also noted.
C6/7 : Uncovertebral osteophytosis with associated moderate bilateral neural foraminal narrowing contacting the exiting C7 nerve roots. No significant spinal canal narrowing.
C7/T1: Discophytic lipping associated with minor spinal canal narrowing along with mild bilateral neural foraminal narrowing contacting the exiting C8 nerve roots.
Conclusion: There is minor multilevel grade 1 spondylolisthesis along with spondylotic change characterised by moderate -marked multilevel degenerative disc disease.
There is discophytic lipping and pseudo disc protrusion associated with spinal canal and neural foraminal narrowing at a number of levels as above.

It doesn't mean much to me, but I understand protrusion, narrowing, impingement, foramina

Best regards

Alfred

In the last 2 weeks the inflammation in the left side of the neck has reached new peaks never experienced before and the unbearable pain is spreading under the left jaw, left ear and into the left throat despite taking the meds. I am not getting much support from the pain management doctor.

Hi Alfred,
Thanks for asking how I am.
Truely I empathize with your pain and fears,having been there several times in last 25 yrs myself, last time i spent 6 weeks in bed. I pray for you daily.
In the meantime, I have IBS and would not be able to take zinc or turmeric, especially with Diclofenac. Those supps and That drug is horrible for your IBS. Please try to drink more water, as it is Extremely important . I hope by now you got a better neck brace, see pic below.
So sorry the pain dr is not doing a better job.
Try to relax as much as possible. I know it is hell waiting. Prayers for you.

@pamela35 Thank you for joining the discussion and I wanted to give you a hearty welcome to Connect! You've joined a group of compassionate people sharing their experience to help others.

Can you share your experience so we can get to know you a little better?

@jm1 Julie, that's a great suggestion! The hard collar I had after my spine surgery was my best friend for 3 months. Mine was a Miami J collar, somewhat similar to this one. Even before my spine surgery, I was wrapping my neck with a beaded microwavable heat wrap and tying a scarf around it to support my neck. It helped a lot to stop neck movement especially when there is spinal cord compression.

@ab6540183 I think this may help with your symptoms while you wait. I did see the image you posted from your MRI and it was similar to mine, although mine only involved one level of compression.

I agree with Julie, relax as best you can. You may be aggravating your neck by typing on the computer so much. Listening to music helps a lot if it is something you love. You CAN set your mind to it, and lessen the amount of pain that you feel. I know that may sound crazy, but I did that after a very painful epidural spinal injection that caused the most intense pain I have ever felt, much more pain that going through spine surgery or breaking my leg. I had to talk myself down from that ledge of being in fear and the loss of control to the pain. Believe that the pain will not be there forever. You will get through it. It takes slow deep controlled breathing, hear music in your head even if none is playing, and imagine something pleasant. I imagined an eagle soaring above all of the problems and that I was that eagle up there in the sky free from pain. It worked and I didn't pass out on the table. I regained control with my mind.

Hi Jennifer,

how are you?

Thanks for the info. I will get that collar as recommended.

The last few days I am feeling light headed, short of breath, confused, exhausted, blurred vision, a drifting away sensation, very painful in the left side of the neck and left hand fingers (index and middle fingers). My arms are rather weak currently and every time I lift the sugar container, my right shoulder hurts. Also lots of creaks going through my shoulders and neck when I move them.

I am not sure if it caused by anxiety, the compression of the nerves, the drugs or other.

There is one thing that I didn't mention: for several months I have had stuffy nostrils even though I am not sick and watery fluid leaking out of them from time to time.

I complained to my pain management doctor that medications alone are enough and suggested that he could add physiotherapy as part of the pain management program.

What do you think?

I tried the live relaxation music on YouTube, but the pain is so intense that I am not able to focus on it properly.

Thanks

Alfred