Well, I have had my first bout of health issues … at only 54, I'd hoped these would wait a while! I'm going to write about it mainly in case anyone else might have ideas/suggestions/experiences to share along these lines.

Without going into great detail, the bottom line (After several doctors, CT scan, MRI, etc.) is that I have a pinched or possibly damaged nerve in my neck, left side, around C7/C8 spine. It's caused me some upper-left (shoulder blade area) pain, plus numbness and weakness in my left hand. And as a keyboard player - I dreaded the possibility of losing some of the good use of that arm/hand!

For me, it's "ulnar" nerve side - that is, affecting "pinkie" and "ring" finger (medically, fingers 4 and 5). And palm on that side of the hand, and some of forearm. I can play keyboard OK (if I get thru the pain) but I have definitely lost some power, accuracy, etc. - and I can't "feel" the keys with those 2 fingers!

Short term treatment is "prednisone" pills to reduce swelling impinging on the nerve, plus starting physical therapy. Luckily, doctor said to keep playing (and using my arm) as long as I don't push it too hard - so that my muscles don't atrophy or get too weak. If this 'therapy' doesn't help, next possibility copy be cortisone (?sp) shots right in the area where the nerve is pinched. Last resort would be surgery but they aren't pushing for that at this time.

Well, that's my "saga" for now …
I''ll appreciate any info anyone may want to share related to this sort of thing …
Thanks,
Jim

sorry to hear about your condition. I had a couple episodes with 'degenerative' bones. Mine were C-1 - 6. I tried the therapy for 26 weeks, did the awful injection in the neck and finally had the bones removed off the nerves - bingo! I had it on both sides and both surgeries helped. I couldn't stand the constant stabbing. good luck, you do need to get something done.

Jim,
last year, at age 72, I underwent cervical spine surgery. It sounds terrible but In fact was not bad at all. There was no pain - ever - and probably 95 percent of the symptoms are gone. They fused 3 vertebra in my neck. I had numbness and tingling from my elbows down to my finger tips 24/7 and was beginning to lose the ability to do fine tasks with my hands like simply picking up coins. The surgery fixed all that.

If I were in your shoes I would get a second and third if needed opinion. ALL of the doctors I saw said exactly the same thing. With cervical spine issues it is not advised to wait very long before correcting them. The reason being is nerves are being damaged, that if left to long, may NEVER heal themselves even after surgery. The result of this might and could be symptoms that never go away.

By the way, the cortisone shots help in many cases. In my case they did not. I now am dealing with lumbar spine issues and about 8 months ago I got 4 shots 2 in each side of my spine in the lumbar area and that has nearly solved the day-to-day pain issues. By the way, I did them without the anathesia and it all was just fine. Only problem is the shots don't cure anything - just put off the inevitable.

Anyway, thought I would add my experience to your thread. I would do it all over again if necessary and probably will have to.

Deane

A few years ago, I injured my knees, and kept walking without seeking medical treatment. I eventually had difficulty walking. I went from doctor to doctor (primary care, orthopedists, etc) without any success in healing. Finally, I decided to go for an acupuncture treatment. I did a lot of research on who I thought would be the best in the area.

To cut to the point, I walked in there on crutches and walked out "carrying" the crutches.

"Alternative medicine" is not something I would dismiss if there is a chance of healing your particular condition.

Mark

Hi Jim,

As a fellow sufferer and at 67, I sympathise with your situation. My cervical cord is pinched in three places around C3-C6. I believe was the result of bad gymnastic mat practices in my youth and a car whiplash injury thirty years ago.

Unfortunately I also have Smoldering Myeloma cancer which means that I cannot take non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs as it would affect my kidneys.

My neurosurgeon said that he would not consider operating until I was experiencing limb tingling and restricted capability. I was surprised when he suggested I try acupuncture. I don't have medical insurance so that option might turn out expensive if it has to be done often.

So I live with neck pain and frequent swallowing of paracetamol/codine tablets. It is at its worst when I go to bed and in between bouts of sleep.

I've never heard of prednisone I'm off to Google it.

Keep us informed of your progress hopefully a good one.

Ian

prednisone side effects!

Major:

Increased blood sugar for diabetics
Difficulty controlling emotion
Difficulty in maintaining train of thought
Weight gain
Immunosuppression
Facial swelling. Severe.
Depression, mania, psychosis, or other psychiatric symptoms
Unusual fatigue or weakness
Mental confusion / indecisiveness
Memory and attention dysfunction (Steroid dementia syndrome)
Blurred vision
Abdominal pain
Peptic ulcer
Painful hips or shoulders
Steroid-induced osteoporosis
Stretch marks
Osteonecrosis
Insomnia
Severe joint pain
Cataracts or glaucoma
Anxiety
Black stool
Stomach pain or bloating
Severe swelling
Mouth sores or dry mouth
Avascular necrosis
Hepatic steatosis

Minor

Nervousness
Acne
Skin rash
Appetite gain
Hyperactivity
Increased thirst
Frequent urination
Diarrhea
Reduced intestinal flora
Leg pain/cramps
Sensitive teeth

I think I can live without these!

Ian

Jim, this is one you'll have to play by ear. Realistically, it will never heal - it's not physically possible. Alternative medicine, such as acupuncture can alleviate the pain temporarily, but the end result is you will eventually require surgical intervention to resolve the problem. Don't wait too long and risk permanent damage - and it can happen. I know, I waited too long with my lower back and ended up paralyzed from the waist down for 5 months. The pain was excruciating and I still have problems 40 years later.

Good Luck,

Gary

Jim,
What Gary has said is right on target. None of these spine issues go away or can be healed with the drugs or injections. These only put off the surgery that will be needed later. The worst part is if you wait to long then even the surgery can't help cure things.

I'am waiting now to see just how long It will be before I have to undergo lumbar spine surgery. My diagnosis both in my neck and lower back is stenosis.

Deane

I discovered acupuncture late in life. I'm sorry I didn't discover it sooner.

It's clearly not a "heal-all....mend-all" But the way I see it is, you have nothing to lose (except the cost of the visit), and everything to gain.

Of course, if something is clearly broken in the body, that's not going to help. In my case, none of the doctors knew why my knees were not healing...there was no physical damage showing in the MRI. After that one visit to the acupuncturist, he must have affected whatever was blocking my healing. After a few weeks, I was as good as new.

Repeat....if something clearly is not broken, I would try different methods of alternative medicine, including diet and exercise. There are many alternative ways to fix things.....not just acupuncture. The Chinese swear by this kind of stuff.

Mark

hi jim

I am same age as you and had the same symptoms as you have. Had all the scans and tests over a period of 18 months had a second MRI and it showed a prolapsed disc surgery followed and pain had gone BUT the damage to the nerves takes a long time to recover
a year later I still have numbness in pinky and ring finger don't be afraid of pushing for surgery because I think it was left to long for me.

The surgery sounds servere but I was home within 24 hours

good luck

dave

Hi - thanks to all for your insights and experiences. I know that I don't want to wait too long and risk more permanent nerve damage. I need to "study up" on the surgery possibilities, so I know that risks vs. benefits etc. I don't fully understand if the (possible) epidural steroid injections, which I've heard have helped some people, are actually going to relieve the pressure on the nerve, or just alleviate the pain but leave the nerve still compressed/pinched.

I see doctor in about a week again to discuss what's next ...

Jim

Jim, the steroidal injections merely decrease the inflammation and swelling in the area of injection, which takes some of the pressure off the nerve. However, they also have a negative effect on the body's natural immune system.

Good luck,

Gary

Jim, the other negative aspect of the steriodal injections, which I almost forgot about, is when repeatedly used to relieve pain, they eventually cause a significant amount of scar tissue to build up in the injected area, thus eventually exacerbating the initial problem even more. Use caution with this my friend.

Gary

Not to 'jump on the bandwagon', but I guess I am ...In January I had gotten back to the gym, doing some walking and light exercise and about a week ago my back really started to bother me ... I am currently waiting for the doc to call with the results of some tests I had done a couple of days ago ... a few years ago I had been diagnosed with a couple of degenerative discs in my lower back ... hopefully the situation hasn't worsened too much ...

As Gary says "gettin' old ain't for WIMPS" ...

I don't think I'm going to follow this thread - could be dangerous . Here I am at seven-oh and problem free. That's the thing about living in the Great White North, though, you spend half of your life in a cryogenic state .

One of the problems we face as Homosapiens is we began walking upright about 10,000 years before we should have in the scheme of evolution. Consequently, our spinal columns were not really meant to support significant amounts of weight. Therefore, those of us that are somewhat overweight torture our spines by posturing ourselves in such as manner that it causes early compression and herniation of the soft, pulpy substance between the vertebral areas known as discs. Smokers, exacerbate the disk herniation problem because smoking decreases the blood supply to the discs, thereby causing them to compress much earlier in life than normal. Spinal compression is also part of the aging process as well, but under normal circumstances, it's a very slow process.

So, as an old fart that has beat the $hit out of his rapidly aging body, all I can say is it has been one Hell of a ride. Would I change anything - probably not too many things that would make a significant difference. Well, maybe I would have began sailing at a younger age, but that's about the extent of the changes.

Cheers,

Gary

Jim,
check with your insurance company. Some of them require a series of injections before they will approve the surgery. By the way,
the bill for my cervical spine surgery was $168,908. !!! I was told there is a ton of necessary equipment needed to monitor the nervous system during the operation.

Deane

Oh, THERE'S yer trouble! Those of us who were created as humans, never HAD to evolve. The Maker made us just the way we needed to be!

(I know, I know ... Religion belongs in the bar - couldn't resist!)

Well, I got the report from the Doc tonight and the GOOD news is that 1) there's no kidney stones or bladder infections or anything like that, and 2) the degenerative discs in my spine have NOT gotten much worse ... the not as good news is that the pain IS coming from those discs and the arthritis around them ... So, no surgery, shots or any other such thing, thank goodness ... just a mild muscle relaxer, some anti-inflammatory pain med, and some PT with a chiropractor ...

In my younger, wilder days, I met some people who still had skid marks on their knuckles, obviously having only recently acquired the ability to walk erect.

Good luck. Jim, and make sure you see a competent doctor/surgeon who makes the entire procedure totally clear to you.,

Ian

Jim,

To add to my previous comments and at the risk of identifying a surgery risk.

In my reading about cervical neck surgery I learned that a surgeon may decide to enter at the front of the spine. This for one person who posted resulted in voice box trauma that lasted six months.

I raised this point with my potential surgeon and he confirmed the front entry procedure and risk. I did not ask him if the patient has an option on this but I will do if I eventually have to have surgery.

Ian

Ian, the frontal approach is often used by surgeons if the disk is high, such as a C4/C3 herniation. Tell the surgeon you are a professional singer and they will use a lot more caution during the procedure to prevent damage to the vocal folds.

Gary

I had c5-6 fused about two years ago to relieve similar symptoms. Frontal entry was done-suggested as to lower risk of damaging nerves clustered at that area at the back. I , like Hammer, consider it a success. Waiting for further damage is not my advice. I had l2-3 fused in my back after all kinds of shots and a lesser procedure (microdiskectomy) and ended up with permanent damage in my legs and and am still going for other procedures, including one tomorrow, to try to lessen the pain. Don't wait- and hope your insurance company is on board. And listen to your doctors about recovery time. Don't think you can drive when that may require quick and extreme left to right movements etc. That's my experience. Neck in 2010, back in 2008.

Hi to all who wrote ... thanks! I'm now ~3 weeks into this "situation" and things are "so-so". The initial short term plan (reduce the inflammation, physical therapy) had reduced the worst of the pain, but the numbness and weakness of the left hand is still about the same (not getting better). I found out through local 'networking' that several friends and family have gone though somewhat similar situations. The guitarist in my band had surgery including C1-C4 fused (?) and his grip strength did return and he says it was successful for him.

My MRI showed apparently various smaller 'issues' in several of the Cs (C2, 4, 5) plus the more significant problems at C7. I guess I have a few things that could be "waiting to happen" ... I felt so fine for all my life; didn't know I could have all these cervical issues sitting there, and the doctors say they happen very gradually, so I guess it was inevitable for me that I'd have some problem eventually.

Turns out 3 out of 6 siblings have had neck/nerve issues (2 had surgery), and my Mom had back disc issues (surgery). Maybe there is a bit of genetic "pre-disposition" some of this?!

All I know is I hate being NOT able to play music they way I used to and did without thinking before - my health seemed so "normal" and "OK". Time will tell; hopefully some next steps will take care of at least some of the problems or potential/future problems ...

Thanks again for all the notes, ideas, comments, on this topic ...
Jim