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nothing on the MRI, and yet excruciating pain???

hello!
a little history: i work with kids with disabilities, about five years ago one caught me by the hair, and threw me into a wall my neck and lower back took the brunt of the impact. i filed an incident report, but nothing ever came of it.
since then i have been to a chiropractor, physical therapy, taken naprosen, hydrocodone, flexoril, i've been through a round of prednisone, i've tried light exercise, heavy exercise, yoga, core strengthening, rest, heat, and cold.
Symptoms experience:
muscle spasms
lightening bolt surges of pain
for a while i was experiencing numbness and tingling in my legs (usually my left) and would at times give out underneath me. but now its pretty much located in the upper body
constant feeling of strain in lower back
shoulder pain, tingling, numbness down into my arm and hand.
loss of feeling in my right hand (ex: forgot i had a pen in my hand until it hit the floor)
neck pain, at times i cant fully turn my head
loss of strength in my hand at times its fine, others an aluminum pan feels like lifting a person
sitting, or standing is uncomfortable
nothing brings relief
i wake up in the middle of the night at times because of the pain, sometimes is followed by pins and needles sensation and sometimes i cant feel anything at all
when being intimate, i have noticed i cant feel much of anything, except pain.

i went to my primary physician with complaints mostly in the upper back and neck but all over. and she issued a set of upper x rays, and an mri. i received a call back that i had mild cervical foraminal stenosis c5/c6, and that because of this they were sending me to a neuro surgeon. my appointment was today. this was the first time seeing my film. Every vertebrae looked pristine, as the spaces between. the neurosurgeon stated that he wasn't sure why i was referred, and that there was no need for surgery, and that there was really nothing he could do. he said i was welcomed to get a second opinion, but honestly i saw nothing on the mri that led me to believe otherwise.

After five years, i have had to stop doing hair because the pain is so excruciating. i cant do do my job efficiently because of the pain. some days i can barely walk, i cant be intimate, and when i am it puts me in tears, even though i am focused on other things.  it is rapidly getting worse, and i keep moving because i am terrified its all in my head. my depression is hitting hard lately because it makes me feel as if i'm a crazy person.

does anyone have any suggestions as to where to go from here? i get the impression all of my basic reaction tests were normal as they said nothing. i'm so frustrated. any suggestions anything would be appreciated.
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Avatar universal
Thank you philnoir,  I will definitely look into it
Helpful - 0
7721494 tn?1431627964
Seek out a board certified interventional pain specialist. This specialty focuses on the spine, nervous system, and studies pain in great detail. These guys and gals are usually anesthesiologists who go on to do a fellowship in this specialty, and are more familiar with the spine and treating chronic pain syndromes.

Here's an introduction to interventional pain medicine: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interventional_pain_management

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