Neck and body pain, sudden hearbeat and numbness at night

Posted by crisjoy @crisjoy, May 19, 2023

Recently I am having hard time at night. I wake up of sudden heartbeat and numbness in my body. I also feel like my head is heavy. I can’t find a right position for my neck and it feels like my neck position causes the numbness and heart palpitation. I am not aure what type of doctor I need: a neurologist, a spine surgeon, or other.

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heisenberg34 | @heisenberg34 | May 19, 2023

Perhaps a neurologist may be of some help. Your symptoms seem nerve=related...but, don't quote me on that.

Jennifer, Volunteer Mentor | @jenniferhunter | May 19, 2023

@crisjoy Hello and welcome to Connect. I think you are right about your symptoms being spine related. If you have some instability, it may be that laying down will shift vertebrae and it could add pressure to either the spinal cord or nerves that are leaving it to go to the body. It depends on what is going on there. In standing or seated positions, it may not happen and imaging in different positions can show misalignment of the spine being worse in certain positions. You may have spinal cord compression in a reclined position causing the numbness in your body.

I am a spine surgery patient and had a spine injury from a whiplash. I have had similar symptoms. I think your best and quickest route to a diagnosis is start with a good spine specialist. That can be a neurosurgeon or an orthopedic spine surgeon. My surgery was with a neurosurgeon at Mayo. If you need a referral or need some imaging in order to get a spine appointment, your primary care doctor can help get that done. Top level spine surgeons want to review imaging before taking a patient for an appointment because they are in such high demand.

There is usually a long wait for a neurologist because so many patents have neuropathy from diabetes or aging, and a spine specialist probably has a favorite neurologist they work with on spine issues and would refer you there for testing.

Mayo is excellent for neurosurgery. #1 in the country and I can't say enough good things about my experience there in Rochester. I wish I had come to Mayo first as I had trouble getting a surgeon to help me because they misunderstood the problem. It took me 2 years to get help and have surgery that fixed my spinal cord compression. After I got to Mayo, I was helped right away. If you are able to come to Mayo in either MN, FL or AZ, you can request an appointment at this link.

http://mayocl.in/1mtmR63

I would also recommend calling the billing department and checking if Mayo takes your health insurance. You can find them at this link: https://www.mayoclinic.org/patient-visitor-guide/billing-insurance/insurance

It may be tough to hear the answer, but a spine problem can sneak up on you and get bad before you realize what has happened. There is usually a wait for a good specialist too. Spine surgery gave me back my life. I had a one level fusion done with a bone spacer for a C5/C6 which was bad and collapsing with bone spurs pressing into my spinal cord.

I'd be happy to answer any questions.

Jennifer