Excruciating chronic left side neck pain plus lumbar issues

"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 .

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

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

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.

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

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.

@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

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

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

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.