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[mopinko]

MRI shows right -sided disc herniation corresponding to your right arm Sx.

sounds like fun. recommending pt, epidurals, and/or microdiscectomy. neuro consult for sure.

anything autoimmune that can cause this?

thoughts, opinions, and horror stories welcome. hello google.

[Lurking Dem]

1. No, I don't think so.

But the herniation can cause an autoimmune response.

Causes are generally an injury, like a fall, or repetitive motion injury.

[Warpy]

2. Autoimmune is unlikely unless it's spinal arthritis

It sounds more like one of those wear and tear things. You'll get the consult, and the neurosurgeon will probably try to treat it conservatively at first. If you don't show improvement, then he'll recommend surgery.

They've gotten better at back surgery just in the years I've been a nurse. You've got a really good shot at improvement, no matter what the course is.

[mopinko]

3. from what i have read

it sounds like the disc bulged, then the autoimmune whatever-the-hell-it-is fired up. there is no question that there was a lot of soft tissue inflammation going on. i think that has quieted down, and i am mostly left with a straight line of pain from my neck to my finger tip.
i am thinking maybe an epidural might get me past x-mas. etc, then we can see what we can do. i think i know someone who owns a traction thingie. i think i will look into that, also.

[ThomCat]

4. I hope an epidural will get you through.

A short round of anti-inflamatory steroids might make all the difference.

I always worry if surgery is one of the options. I hope there are other long-term options for you.

[mopinko]

6. already did the steroids. twice.

2 6 day medrol courses. felt a little better the second one on day 2 and 3, but not that much. i am ready for anything that will stop this. going on 3 months here, with no relief except when taking too many vicodins. and that had a lot of rebound to it. sigh.

[mopinko]

5. full mri report. someone talk me off the ledge, here.

i know these damn things always sound worse than they are. but this sounds pretty scary. sounds like i am coming apart at the seams. hello neuro consult.

edited to say that i am not seeking medical advice so much as support and info. and sympathy. du is not a substitute for a real doctor.



PROCEDURE: Sagittal T1, proton density and T2 axial gradient echo MR
and T1 scanning was obtained of the cervical spine.


CLINICAL INDICATION: Right neck and arm pain.

FINDINGS: There is degenerative disc disease. At C3-C4 there is small
central disc protrusion without cord deformity or stenosis.

C4-C5 there is small central disc protrusion without cord deformity or
stenosis.

At C5-C6 there is a focal disc protrusion towards the right deformity
of the right ventral aspect of the spinal cord stay correlate with
right C6 radiculopathy. At C6-C7 there is more pronounced disc
protrusion towards the right and to involve the right intervertebral
foramen. This may correlate with right C7 radiculopathy. There is mild
indentation of the right lateral aspect of the cord anteriorly.

At C7-T1 no frank disc herniation or stenosis is seen.

CONCLUSION: Prominent disc herniation towards the right involving the
right intervertebral foramen at C6 /7. Disc protrusion towards the
right at C 5/6. See above discussion. No spinal cord signal abnormality
is identified. -

[Warpy]

7. C5-6 and 6-7 discectomy has a great prognosis

"Radiculopathy" just means that the nerve root exiting the spinal cord is being compressed. That is what is causing your pain. The cure is a surgical one, but it's a surgery they've gotten very good at.

The fact that there is no cord deformity from any of the bulging discs is a good thing. That means you're OK, that they can ignore those for now.

[Mandate My Ass]

8. I had discectomy and fusion of C5-C6 with great results

Pain in the neck and pain/spasms of arm were gone immediately after waking up from surgery. The downside is that they used a graft from my hip to fuse the vertebrae. Ouch! Initially I was wishing for the neck pain to come back but it improved a bit every day unlike the neck pain. I understand nowadays the hip graft is not used nearly as much.

After a two-year medical nightmare, I just found out today I have fibromyalgia. From what I've managed to read, trauma to the spine can cause fibro. So, which came first, the chicken or the egg? I saw orthopedists, sports medicine specialists, chiropractors and rheumatologists, none of whom could figure out what was wrong with me.

I have no medical insurance because I lost my job due to fibromyalgia but I'm seeing an acupuncturist who lowered her fees in half to treat me. She also gave me a supplement called Isotonix OPC-3 which is basically high potency antioxidants so I am keeping my fingers crossed for some long-overdue relief.

Best of luck to you.

[mopinko]

9. i have fibro also. this caused a big reaction.

there was a lot of back and forth over soft tissue/muscle vs nerve/neck. i think it was both. the pain was very widespread at first, encompassing all the muscle attached to my shoulder, arm, back, armpit, upper arm, all around. it has now calmed down to pretty much a straight line from my neck through my shoulder to my index finger tip.
blood work showed a high ana levels, inflammation, lots of activity. but the ana pattern is not normal, so still no name, no face to this enemy.
i am so sick of doctors. they are sending me to the pain clinic for an epidural. maybe i will find a doc i like there. grrrrrr.

and i really feel for you on the insurance front. i live in suck fear of loosing my coverage. hubby's company is getting ready to go public, and will likely be bought. my knees are knocking.

[Radio_Lady]

10. Husband has had three lower back surgeries with good results.

These were in the 1970s -- acute disk herniation and a few years later, removal of bone spur at the same spot. Then, he had a "clean out" for spinal stenosis in 1998. It was about a year later that it all resolved pretty well.

That's about all I can add.

[Radio_Lady]

11. If I were you, I'd check in with the best neurosurgeon I could find.

Maybe two of them if you can afford it.

Good luck to you!

Radio Lady in Oregon