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Bicep atrophy due to C5 nerve root compression

Posted by debbiepinkston59 @debbiepinkston59, Dec 12, 2022

Has anyone noticed bicep atrophy due to issues at C5? My son has craniocervical instability (C1-C2) but also has bulging discs at C4-5-6. He has been saying that his left bicep is getting smaller as well as his left thigh muscles. Last night I measured them and they are significantly smaller than his right bicep and thigh muscles, and smaller than the last time I measured them.
He rarely has tingling or numbness in his hand. He does feel fatigue and weakness in his left arm and hand. He is a professional guitarist and this is very alarming.

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Amanda Roe | @amandajro | Dec 13, 2022

Hello @debbiepinkston59 and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I can imagine how alarming this must be for him given his profession.

Members such as @jenniferhunter and @jacklynn12 may be able to share more about craniocervical instability and whether or not they have noticed any atrophy as a result.

Has your son had a recent neuro consult to review the changes he has noticed? If so, what was the outcome?

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Mentor
Jennifer, Volunteer Mentor | @jenniferhunter | Dec 15, 2022

@debbiepinkston59 I had also responded to your other post. I had been looking up information and the biceps would be affected by problems at the nerve roots in the areas of C4 through C6. Does he have imaging that shows spinal cord compression? With craniocervical instability and bulging discs in C4-C6, there could possible be multiple points of compression of the spinal cord.

I did experience muscle atrophy of biceps , triceps, and muscles on the back of the shoulder on the scapula. Spine surgery decompressing my spinal cord improved all of that. I lost about half of my muscle volume and got back about half of what lost, so I still have a bit of a deficit although my functioning is pretty normal.

Can you share any information from imaging reports or a specialist opinion? Does he have a diagnosis of myelopathy or myomalacia?

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1 reply
debbiepinkston59 | @debbiepinkston59 | Dec 16, 2022
In reply to @jenniferhunter "@debbiepinkston59 I had also responded to your other post. I had been looking up information and..." + (show)
@jenniferhunter

@debbiepinkston59 I had also responded to your other post. I had been looking up information and the biceps would be affected by problems at the nerve roots in the areas of C4 through C6. Does he have imaging that shows spinal cord compression? With craniocervical instability and bulging discs in C4-C6, there could possible be multiple points of compression of the spinal cord.

I did experience muscle atrophy of biceps , triceps, and muscles on the back of the shoulder on the scapula. Spine surgery decompressing my spinal cord improved all of that. I lost about half of my muscle volume and got back about half of what lost, so I still have a bit of a deficit although my functioning is pretty normal.

Can you share any information from imaging reports or a specialist opinion? Does he have a diagnosis of myelopathy or myomalacia?

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Hi Jennifer, thank you so much for responding. He has an upright MRI and a DMX, showing CCI, and brain stem compression has been mentioned as a symptom of CCI, but nerve root compression hasn't been discussed as a cause of the atrophy. I'm just now becoming educated on this. Your response has been very helpful! I will talk to my son about getting a second opinion at Mayo with the surgeon who did your surgery.
Thank you!

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1 reply
Mentor
Jennifer, Volunteer Mentor | @jenniferhunter | Dec 17, 2022
In reply to @debbiepinkston59 "Hi Jennifer, thank you so much for responding. He has an upright MRI and a DMX,..." + (show)
@debbiepinkston59

Hi Jennifer, thank you so much for responding. He has an upright MRI and a DMX, showing CCI, and brain stem compression has been mentioned as a symptom of CCI, but nerve root compression hasn't been discussed as a cause of the atrophy. I'm just now becoming educated on this. Your response has been very helpful! I will talk to my son about getting a second opinion at Mayo with the surgeon who did your surgery.
Thank you!

Jump to this post

@debbiepinkston59 I did not have nerve root compression, and my symptoms of muscle atrophy came solely from spinal cord compression in my neck and some shifting of my vertebrae that made it worse or better depending on how it all lined up. I would encourage your son to apply for Mayo now because there will be a wait to be seen. Mayo would need to answer on scheduling, but a typical wait time may be 3 months or more as I was told when I applied. They do prioritize cases. If there is a cancellation, you could be called sooner for an appointment, so you may want to look at logistics of travel and accommodations, so you'll be able to act quickly if an appointment is offered. You may want to also send in measurements of losses from muscle atrophy and perhaps photos of that when they ask for imaging for review. You can also write a letter detailing the history of this condition and the symptoms he is experiencing. How long has it been since you noticed the muscle loss?

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