Excruciating chronic left side neck pain plus lumbar issues

Posted by AlfredB @ab6540183, Dec 23, 2022

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

Shared files

summary of mri xray (summary-of-mri-xray.pdf)

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Spine Health Support Group.

@ab6540183

@jenatsky
@jenniferhunter

Thanks for your reply jm1.

Yesterday I received nerve blocks for the facet joints, not the cervical nerves.

The pain Dr wants to see if there are any problems from the facet joints first. There will be other facets joint nerve blocks in the near future. Then he is going to systematically target the cervical nerves that he believes are impinged according to the MRI and the symptoms.

The new pain DR told me not to take Gabapentin, Lyrica and start using Nortriptyline 10mg nocte only. This is not helping me therefore I am pairing this with 25mcg of Clonidine so that I can get some sleep.

This is an excerpt from his letter to my own GP:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have got the following recommendations
1. I think we should stop gabapentin and Lyrica.
2. I referred him to a neurologist for consideration of nerve conduction studies of his upper and lower limbs.
3. I think we should repeat the diagnostic medial branch blocks on the left side. We will go from C4 to C7. I have advised him to avoid cervical manipulation.
4. I asked him to keep walking.
5. I think he would benefit from active physiotherapy. I would like to see him in three months. Hopefully we will have done the injections by then.
6. I am concerned he may also have had some false negatives from the thoracic facet joint injections.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I had an EMG this Thursday and the nerve blocks on Friday. The EMG proved that I have radiculopathies.

The extreme pain is still there.

I told him that the pain is mainly coming between C7/T1. There are 2 large lumps that you can feel on the left and right of this area. I feel an extreme stabbing between C7/T1 that I never had 2 months prior. I remember that the osteopath was pretty rough back in Feb. He caused me a lot of pain after that manipulation.

Question: Can the disc bulging/protrusion between C7/T1 be pushing onto my spinal cord cord causing referred pain where the left leg joins onto the left hip and the left foot?
I am frequently getting shoulders' pain, ring/little finger referred acute pain.

3 months ago I never had issues with tightness, numbness, pain in the groin area and the feet.
I do know that there is an impingement of right lumbar L2/L3, L3/L4 and that is why I feel these symptoms on the right foot but the left lumbar was always fine.

Also my pain management psychologist is encouraging me to do short slow bike rides (finish the ride just before symptoms kick in using the pacing technique) only on the bike track.
He believes that my mind is preventing me due to flee response, I.E. I am fearful of getting worse.

One one hand my pain DR suggest to walk a bit, on the other hand my psychologist encourages me to do short walks and bike rides using pacing.

I find walking harder because the weight of my head and torso puts a load on my lower back. When I ride I don't feel this load.

Best regards

Alfred

Jump to this post

"When I ride, I don't feel this load" SO ....you have been riding your bike?
If so, that what is aggravating your pain. In the US a doctor overrides a psychologist. A psychologist is not a M.D. and can not prescribe. In my humble opinion,Stick to walking only or suffer the consequences .

REPLY
@jm1

"When I ride, I don't feel this load" SO ....you have been riding your bike?
If so, that what is aggravating your pain. In the US a doctor overrides a psychologist. A psychologist is not a M.D. and can not prescribe. In my humble opinion,Stick to walking only or suffer the consequences .

Jump to this post

I just used the stationery exercise bike at home at a slow pace.

REPLY

Does anyone know what other factors cause intense neck pain besides compressed nerves?
In the last few days I haven't been able to sleep despite Nortriptyline 20mg at night.

When I place my right side of my head on the pillow, almost immediately, I feel a mounting pressure on both sides on the base of my neck which increases as I lie down. It feels like a compressing feeling that moves downwards. The anxiety and stress go up despite slow breathing techniques.

I wanted to know if muscles, ligaments and tendons could contribute to the increase in pain.
Can spasms cause this?

Thanks in advance

Alfred

REPLY
@ab6540183

Does anyone know what other factors cause intense neck pain besides compressed nerves?
In the last few days I haven't been able to sleep despite Nortriptyline 20mg at night.

When I place my right side of my head on the pillow, almost immediately, I feel a mounting pressure on both sides on the base of my neck which increases as I lie down. It feels like a compressing feeling that moves downwards. The anxiety and stress go up despite slow breathing techniques.

I wanted to know if muscles, ligaments and tendons could contribute to the increase in pain.
Can spasms cause this?

Thanks in advance

Alfred

Jump to this post

Nerves, compressed nerves. They cause muscle spasms and ligament and tendons get all painful from the too from the messages they get from the nerves. Nerves are the culprit.

REPLY
@jm1

Nerves, compressed nerves. They cause muscle spasms and ligament and tendons get all painful from the too from the messages they get from the nerves. Nerves are the culprit.

Jump to this post

Thank you jm1.

I never had this pain 2 months ago.

I don't know how this has developed.

I remember going to an osteopath late in Feb who was a bit rough. When he manipulated my neck I felt a crack inside. Then I had a steroid injection in March. After these events I started to feel a strong, deep stabbing in the left side mainly that I can't relieve at all. It feels as if there is a piece of bone stabbing into the left side. I asked the physio who told me that the location is left C5.

I feel as if I have some sort of stenosis but my new pain management doctor and neurologist discount that.

Therefore I asked them about what I can do, but they keep telling me to keep taking the meds which are not helping.

My whole body is in pain from the neck, thoracic, lumbar spine, shoulders and multiple referred pains in arms, hands, fingers, groin, feet and toes. Also headaches, ear aches, jaw, skull, tightness, pain when clenching hands.

I have asked them for a new Mri but they reckon that I don't need one. The last Mri was done in Jan 2023 but I did not have all these symptoms apart neck pain which was not as bad as what it is now.

I have been told by mentors on this forum to get a fusion but my previous and current doctors are taking their time. The new pain management doctor is only planning to do nerve blocks not nerve root injections. I think this is not a complete diagnosis.

More than 8 months have past and I am a lot worse than before.

Quality of life is zero, I am always engulfed in pain. My phycologist encourages positive thinking, mindfulness, but the fact remains that I am a always in pain unable to manage it properly. Currently blood pressure is 164/107.

I don't know how much longer I can put up with this constant hell.

I want to live for my family, my sons, my grandsons.

How long can you live with these problems before symptoms get worse or you just run out of time on this earth?

Best regards

Alfred

REPLY

It is 1:30 in the morning Melbourne time and I just had to get out of bed to stand because lying down is causing a massive left neck side atrocious pinch which is unbearable. Standing alleviates it. I took my prescribed medication, I feel drowsy, breathless but can't bear the tightness and incredible pain that shoots down my left side to the groin and foot.

I told my doctors multiple times that I can't manage the left side but they keep telling me to take the meds which are not working. My blood pressure is anything from 160 to 170 over 105-107.

The doctors don't believe that there is a structural change but my symptoms have increased 2 fold.

I am clueless as what to do next. This has been happening for several weeks and it is making things very hard for me. I can't even meditate due to the severity of the pain.

REPLY

@jenniferhunter

Hi guys,

how are you?

My condition is not improving.

I asked my pain management doctor what is the solution for my problem and he replied maybe there isn't one.

This means they want to keep masking the pain without fixing the cause of the problem.

I have been doing short walks. But since last Friday my neck started to burn a lot after last Friday's walk.

Even the medication would not control the pain.

Yesterday I went to the physiotherapist that manipulated both sides on my neck. I though I felt slightly better afterwards, but last night I felt the left side of the neck tightening hard everywhere, felt as if I was being bitten but a dog. The stabbing pain is very deep inside, very overwhelming to the point that I couldn't relax.

I never slept and feel very exhausted. My blood pressure is sky high.
The pain was also spreading tightly in the groin, legs and feet with numbness. Standing reduces this a bit.

I have asked the pain management doctor and the neurologist to give me a request for new imaging but they won't do it. I feel very disappointed. I believe there must be some changes inside since the last MRI in Jan 2023.

So here I am in pain 24/7 in any position, IE standing, sitting, lying down in debilitating pain that I can't manage anymore.

Any ideas on how to improve this?

Thanks

Alfred

REPLY

Is it like a creak in your neck ? I had a really bad one last year couldn’t even sit up for very long but I had to order me a flatter pillow and neck stretches the right way finally it went away but it was so painful

REPLY

and I forgot to tell you to be icing it and heat but not more than 15 minutes

REPLY

Hello, Sorry to hear about your problems. I didn't see where you have ever seen a chiropractor.? I know a lot of people referred to chiropractors as witch doctors. But they can bring relief when qualified. When I say qualified I don't mean some ten dollar chiropractor at a flea market.

I have dish, it fused the left side of my entire spine. Never knew I had until it got in my neck. I'm now anteriorly fused from C2-L5. 9 bulging discs naturally. I hope you have some pain medication. My first cortisone shot was c6-7.

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.