Compression in Spinal Cord

[srikapala]

Hi,

Hope i am posting my question in the right section.

Recently my father-in-law had untolerable pain and severe burning sensation in his palm and around one or two fingers.
Doctor ordered X-Ray, it came out normal.
MRI, it came out normal,
Doctor said he see slight compression at the neck in MRI and gave medication Tryptomer, Neurica and Carvidon for treatment.

Can somebody tell me more information about this.

Thanks,
Sri

[srikapala]

Thanks a lot ggreg,

You mentioned "compression injury" how this can happen? My father-in-law did not fall or slip before this happend. Part of his work he use to sit for long hours like 4-5 hours at a stretch.

I googled the medications most of them are used to treat relax musles and tissue around the musles. Is this nerves related?

Regards,
Sri

[ggreg]

Apparently your father has a compression injury of the cervical spine.  The nerves that come out of that part of the spine, they go into the arms and hands.  If the neck part of the spine is injured, it can cause the symptoms your father has in his hand.  The medicines the doctor gave him, they are not familiar to me in the U.S., but I suppose they should lessen the bad sensations he has in his hand.

Sometimes, in addition to medicine, physical therapy or professional massage therapy or acupuncture can help a person who has a spinal nerve problem.  At home, your father could put a hot OR cold water bottle wrapped in a tea towel on the back of his neck when he's resting, or he could put that bottle on a pillow and rest his hand on it that way.  Heat or cold will usually help pain, whichever one works for him.

Since the MRI report said it was a "slight compression" of the spine, probably the moderate treatment of medicine and maybe physical therapy will help it, but if it continues to drive him crazy, he could have an operation where his spinal compression is, to hopefully correct the problem.  I hope this helps.