C6/C7 HERNIATED DISC

Question

Hello,

In July last year I woke one morning to find myself in absolute agony, the pain in my neck was a pain I had not felt before, I also was suffering with pain in my chest shoulder and my left arm. The only way I can describe it is a throbbing pain which was very uncomfortable. I managed to stick with it for a week before I was forced by my wife to see someone. I decided to visit a sports physiotherapist who was very good and told me to go for a scan. The scan came back and said I had a c6-c7 herniated disk. I tried more physio and lots of medication. Over 6 months my condition did not get any better and I had lost nearly all the strength in my left arm so opted to have surgery.  I have gradually got better and better and my training has improved as this was a big part of my life before my injury.  It is now roughly 10 months since I had the surgery and I have started getting this twitching and throbbing pains in my left arm again, and it just does not feel right, I have started to panic as dont want to go back to square one as this will have a huge effect on my work. Is this the normal thing, and can the nerve still flare up from time to time. what shall I do? I am worried that if I go to the doctor again that they will tell me something I really do not want to here.

I will look forward to any feed back anyone has, Hopefully good.

ggreg · Accepted Answer

Obviously visit the sports doc again, let him do another scan, or at least determine by how well you raise and lower your arm and other office exams, whether or not you have reinjured your neck.  Sometimes when you injure a place anywhere in your body, if you put too much work on the area, since it's been weakened before, it will have a tendency to get hurt again a lot easier.  And then there are not just one, but several vertebral discs that are near nerves that go into the arms, so could be it's not the old area, but rather a new area.  And even if you've injured something else, it doesn't automatically mean you've got to go thru surgery all over again, altho I suppose the repair itself may need a little adjusting, but even so, maybe just a protective soft collar for a while will do.  See, it's not cut and dry why this is happening or what might be on the horizon for your more or less reoccuring symptoms.

But what I think is going on is, your arm is telling you something.  It's saying give me a rest, then go back to exercising it easily for a long while, before trying to build up to something you may never quite get back 100 percent again.  I think it's great you are trying to get back to where you were, but could be that rather than anything I've said so far, your arm is just not too happy with what's being expected of it, and the old wrenched muscles have swollen up and are compressing on the nerves that go into your arm.  You may just have an arm that will only reach 80 percent forever, for example.

While you wait to see the doc again, just try to think of this as a typical muscle type injury in your arm, we all pull a muscle and it'll hurt and so forth, from even just regular activity.  So, give your exercise regime a rest, baby the arm, you can always do easy aerobics like walking or some light jogging.  If your work requires you to use that arm to do any lifting or whatever, ask to be put on light duty until the doc can clear you to do otherwise, if you dare disrupt your work situation again.  But go see the doc is my best advice and in general don't expect so much from an arm and neck that required surgical intervention.

doc2861 · Answer

That is good advice. Its has been a week or so, And have a little muscle twitching down my arm and feel as if my arm has lost strength. But it has calmed down. I am going to leave it until Monday to see if it disappears, if not I will see the doc.

ggreg · Answer

I thought of another possibility of what might be going on, which I have to assume when you first had all this, the docs made sure your heart and blood pressure were okay, and if not, go see a doc for a checkup.  At the same time, they should at least do an ordinary X-ray of your neck, just to see if the repair is holding up, you don't want a loose screw to fester.  Another thing, it could very well be if you go as easy as you can with that neck of yours and the arm, don't do any exercise that will put too much pressure on it, but remain active, then it may clear itself up in a couple weeks.  And don't panic over this.  You say the future doesn't look too bright... but son, there are many possible futures for people, so daydream when you get anxious, think of other things you might choose to do with your work plans that will give you what you want out of life, just in case.  I think your ideas of acupuncture and antiinflamatories is a great plan.  And let this be a lesson in planning for the unexpected, always keep your finances in good order, keep some money in the bank, and also remember you are not your job; you are what kindnesses you give, what you teach, and what you love.

doc2861 · Answer

Thank you for your feedback it is much appreciated. I have just started taking some anti inflam tablets to see if this will work and had some acupuncture yesterday. I am in the army which does have a physical side. The future does not look to bright at this moment in time. 

Thanks.

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