Neck Problems: I need some feedback, PLEASE?

[rohrer01]

Okay, so this is a partial post from my "Here's some imaging CD's" thread where I talk about my stuff and kind of keep my journal of what's going on with me. There are a few faithful followers of my thread which I am so grateful for! It keeps my spirits up when people comment because I know they are actually taking the time to look. So thank you to those who I need not name. I feel like I REALLY need some feedback on this one, though. Is there anyone out there that has some of the same stuff going on or know someone who has? I know Ed has some ruptured discs in his neck which sounds a ton worse than what I've got going on here. I also have some other pretty good neck shots, a radiograph of my whole spine where you can zoom in on the neck and my freaky MRI that I posted just because I thought it looked cool. Am I a freak for thinking that? LOL

But truly, my neck bones literally hurt all of the time. They've been hurting for a long time and the older I get, the more they hurt. I don't need an MRI to say that. The report I got said "mild" arthritis. If this is mild, I hate to even think what's waiting for me! Is it really mild? I would definitely say that 2010 is mild. But the 2014's look to me like the vertebrae themselves are shriveling up. It's either that or they are changing shape because all of the vertebrae are kind of spreading out on the disc sides leaving the middle of the vertebral bodies the same size that they originally were.

So here are MRI's of my neck from 2010 and 2014. You can see the progression of arthritis there in only four years. It looks like there will soon be some major compression of my spinal cord at C3/4 and C5/6. I know I said on the other thread that I said C4/5. That is because that is what the doctor told me. He later could not find any compression at C4/5 because it's at C5/6!

It hurts to put even the slightest pressure on my c-spine. I don't get zaps or tingles. But, I dare say anyone that pushed that hard would get an involuntary push right back unless my arms went numb, then it might be a kick!

2010:
[ATTACH]1832[/ATTACH] Notice C5/6.

2014:
[ATTACH]1833[/ATTACH] Notice C3/4 and C5/6. The higher one seems to be worse.


Do you or anyone else know what they do for these when the bone spurs go toward the spine and not away from it? I can't think of how they could even reach that area... :-(

Rohrer01

[LindaRacine]

Hi Rohrer...

I'm sorry that you're having more difficulty. Can you describe where, in your neck, your pain is? Like, how high or low in your neck. Can you tell if the pain is coming from the front or the back of the spine? And, is the pain only when you move? I definitely can imagine, based on your curve, that you'd have some pretty severe muscular pain.

--Linda

[rohrer01]

Hi Rohrer...

I'm sorry that you're having more difficulty. Can you describe where, in your neck, your pain is? Like, how high or low in your neck. Can you tell if the pain is coming from the front or the back of the spine? And, is the pain only when you move? I definitely can imagine, based on your curve, that you'd have some pretty severe muscular pain.

--Linda

The muscle pain is like someone stabbing me with an ice pick up high and just posterior to center. The bone pain is different. It hurts up high, dead center, and around the C to T transition. It's hard to describe, but if the spinous processes get pushed on at all, it's enough to send me over the roof. My physiatrist gives me Botox every 91 days to help with the muscle pain. My PCP gives me 10 rounds of trigger points every two weeks to help with muscle pain.

I talked to my physiatrist about it a little and he gave me a semi-solid neck brace to get the pressure off the bones and helps when I get head drop from a misplaced injection. It's a life saver at times, but I can't sleep or eat with the thing on. I have to have support under my neck when I sleep otherwise I'm in spasm when I wake up. But the supports, and I've tried many and have a favorite, still put pressure on those spinous processes which is "uncomfortable". My sleep is rare and scattered throughout the day and night. Sometimes I doze off while I'm laying down, but still doing stuff, and don't even know it until my husband tells me what time it is. I might be watching shows on my computer and not realize that I've even missed an episode...stuff like that.

If it's not my neck, it's my lower back (usually both) and now my upper mid-back. Right now I'm kind of focusing on the neck. I think it's contributing to my sudden upper mid-back bone pain just because of the domino affect.

Thanks for the response,
Rohrer01