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June 12, 2009 - 10:12pm
Cervical OA, Does this sound typical for it?
For the past year and a half I have developed pain symptoms that my neurologist attributes to Minimal to moderate OA , two to three mm herniated disc , and some stenosis. (What I have listed below). Anyhow I am thinking perhaps the root of my pain is more my OA and muscle tension than anything, but am not sure.
I only get pain along the left side of my neck, along my left shoulder, down by my left shoulder blade, behind my left ear. Sometimes it creeps up from behind my ear to above my eye or the top of my head. I've had occipitual block, and C3 blocks as I'm sure that is the nerve being affected as well, but nothing has helped it this time. It has seemed to get worse.
The pain I'd describe it as an ache, burn, nerve feeling that can be really bad if the left side of my neck gets too tight which I have a problem with for a year now, but that hadn't affected me this way till end of may this year. Sometimes I can push on the muscle on the back of my shoulder which will hit the nerve and send pain up the c3 ...
Is this normal for OA?: Normal to get stiff, muscle tension with OA? Or should I suggest my doctor get me a MRI for my neck to see if anything has changed?
I see a PM doc for the first time mon and my neurologist tues.
Any thoughts or things that help without meds would be nice.
Thanks
_____________
According to an MRI in 2008 I had 2mm and 3mm herniations at C5/C6 and C6/ C7. Both having mild to slight central stenosis. Disc desiccation without protrusion at T1-2.
On my Xray from 2008 it said: Very minimal hypertrophic uncovertebral joints at C5-C6. Minimal osteophyte formations and foraminal impingement at C5/C6.
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Does your OA feel better if you go out and do daily activities , but as soon as you get home and sit down all the muscles start to tense and everything returns?
According to an MRI in 2008 I had 2mm and 3mm herniations at C5/C6 and C6/ C7. Both having mild to slight central stenosis. Disc desiccation without protrusion at T1-2.
On my Xray from 2008 it said: Very minimal hypertrophic uncovertebral joints at C5-C6. Minimal osteophyte formations and foraminal impingement at C5/C6.
For 2 1/2 years I was told my neck pain was only OA and muscle pain. I suggest you get an MRI, insist on it for your piece of mind. Even if it doesn't show too much, it will serve as a baseline if your symptoms worsen.
HAGD,
Marianne
Please click on my picture for medical/surgical history
you would be well advised to get your muscle soreness looked at. The side neck ones can get very tight and sore, causing headaches on lower left and or right of skull.
I had the most awful headaches there, just wouldn't let up for days at a time.
In my case, these were caused by knotted shoulder muscles, which became shortened and then pulled on the neck muscles, making them very tight and sore.
Easily fixed with a series of remedial massages.
The knots are teased out, the muscles lengthened again, and the pressure is off the neck muscles.
Takes a while for it to settle down, so it won't be cured in one go, but you should get some immediate relief.
I have lost those pains now, but strangely my neck itself is getting sore all of the time, a constant low level ache that is proving hard to ease.
Looks like I can now feel the arthritis pain, without it being confused with the muscle ones.
Yeah, I will ask about an MRI, although it does seem very muscle based now that I think about it and you guys have pointed it out.
I've tried PT and that helps while doing it and a bit after...I use a tens and that works while using it and a bit after and Ice helps while it is numb...But it just goes back to being extremely tight.
Can the cycle ever be broken? Or is this something that will go through better and worse times? I honestly don't know how it came about in the first place as I am 27 now and was only 25 when it started.
According to an MRI in 2008 I had 2mm and 3mm herniations at C5/C6 and C6/ C7. Both having mild to slight central stenosis. Disc desiccation without protrusion at T1-2.
On my Xray from 2008 it said: Very minimal hypertrophic uncovertebral joints at C5-C6. Minimal osteophyte formations and foraminal impingement at C5/C6.
hey Jen,
I have severe OA not only throughout my spine but my entire body. Getting started and up to speed in the morning is difficult. Same can be said after
doing physical work and taking a rest afterwards, it is so painful to get up and moving again. Have you consulted a Rheumatologist? If not I would highly recommend seeking out one that has a good reputation. I can't say enough good about my rheumy as she has really been a great advocate, helped control my pain, and referred me to the Dr's and specialists I need to see. There is no cure for arthritis but sometimes it can go into remission. My OA will not get better, my spine continues to collapse and degenerate. The best I can do is keep active, my weight down, and try and build strength in my back muscles without hurting myself.
Take care,
Ranger
Well I can't really afford to keep seeing all these specialist, so I'll just have to make due with whom I am seeing already until they tell me to go see another etc. My neuro has given me mobic , celebrex, and voltren before. I take the mobic as much as possible.
According to an MRI in 2008 I had 2mm and 3mm herniations at C5/C6 and C6/ C7. Both having mild to slight central stenosis. Disc desiccation without protrusion at T1-2.
On my Xray from 2008 it said: Very minimal hypertrophic uncovertebral joints at C5-C6. Minimal osteophyte formations and foraminal impingement at C5/C6.
yea im dealing with the same thing...I went to a Rheumatologist this week... He gave me Cellebrex..but the only cure for OA/Stenosis/ddd is probaly multi level Disc Replacement...but im holding off from until stem cell treatment is in full effect..since the FDA is on it in 09.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVRDqkS6wPU&feature=related
C2-3: Mild right facet joint degenerative changes and right neuroforaminal stenosis.
C3-4: Minimal diffuse discosteophyte bulge and mild central cananl stenosis.
C4-5: Mild disc height loss with central annular fissure. Small broad-based left paracentral disc protrusion. Moderate central canal stenosis-the disc protrusion abuts and mildly flattens the left ventral surface of the spinal canal.
C5-6: Disc desiccation with mild height loss.
Diffuse discosteophyte bulge and uncovertebral joint hypertrophy, moderate central canal stenosis-the discosteophyte bulge mildly flattens the ventral surface of the spinal cord. Severe neuroforaminal stenosis bilaterally, right greater than left.
4/15/2010 Pro-Disc-C C5-C6
Oh thanks for the video . Yeah , my neuro gave me mobic. He also has given me celebrex and maybe voltren before...Mobic I take for awhile , it works good enough, but sometimes my stomach bothers me a little so I stop for a few days and thats when I have more problems. ugh.
According to an MRI in 2008 I had 2mm and 3mm herniations at C5/C6 and C6/ C7. Both having mild to slight central stenosis. Disc desiccation without protrusion at T1-2.
On my Xray from 2008 it said: Very minimal hypertrophic uncovertebral joints at C5-C6. Minimal osteophyte formations and foraminal impingement at C5/C6.
how is mobic compared to celebrex? Is it better ?
also what is uncovertebral joints at C5-6?....I have the same thing..
C2-3: Mild right facet joint degenerative changes and right neuroforaminal stenosis.
C3-4: Minimal diffuse discosteophyte bulge and mild central cananl stenosis.
C4-5: Mild disc height loss with central annular fissure. Small broad-based left paracentral disc protrusion. Moderate central canal stenosis-the disc protrusion abuts and mildly flattens the left ventral surface of the spinal canal.
C5-6: Disc desiccation with mild height loss.
Diffuse discosteophyte bulge and uncovertebral joint hypertrophy, moderate central canal stenosis-the discosteophyte bulge mildly flattens the ventral surface of the spinal cord. Severe neuroforaminal stenosis bilaterally, right greater than left.
4/15/2010 Pro-Disc-C C5-C6
Well I didn't really take Celebrex enough to be able to say, but I like mobic better or feel more comfortable with it, though taking anti inflams for a long time freak me out.
You know that is a good question. I looked it up, best I can say is that it could be some sort of narrowing of the nerve root or something like that from one source I read...I do remember the neuro saying I had a narrowing of where the nerve root comes out and a compressed nerve, so I guess it makes sense.
According to an MRI in 2008 I had 2mm and 3mm herniations at C5/C6 and C6/ C7. Both having mild to slight central stenosis. Disc desiccation without protrusion at T1-2.
On my Xray from 2008 it said: Very minimal hypertrophic uncovertebral joints at C5-C6. Minimal osteophyte formations and foraminal impingement at C5/C6.
I have DDD, so some of the discs in my neck are affected. I have all the symptoms you have, and each day the pain levels vary. There are certain activities that really aggravate the neck/shoulder pain, such as sitting and looking down (i.e. reading a newspaper or trying to do crafts on a table), the weather is a big trigger for me, and being in the car for any length of time without proper neck support.
I was given some great stretches by my physiotherapist, and they can really ease off the muscle tension (one is the "door knob stretch"). I have had prolotherapy, which gave me really good relief for a couple of years, and I have had acupuncture. I have varying results with that, and I know everyone responds differently.
I take large doses of anti-inflammatories as well as methotrexate and I still suffer, though not quite as much as I used to. My issues can not be dealt with surgically, so I'm just learning to live with them.
Hopefully you get some relief.
Tracy
Any information I provide is through personal experience ONLY....I am not a medical professional, though I could write a book on the impacts of chronic pain and the treatments I've tried!
We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. ~E.M. Forster, Novelist
Thanks so much for responding!
So muscle tension is just part of it then? Because I've spent times to myself thinking "I've sat like this a million times before and never got muscle tension before. Why other people I know do the same thing in my house and dont have problems, it can't purely be just bad posture or positioning" you know?
Is the "Door knob" exercise the one with the elastic exercise band you tie to it? I have had some PT, but it didn't do much for me after, maybe I should try to remember some of the stuff and do it lol
wow 25 years of pain, I can't imagine.
I am still trying to get used to this, but it is hard.
Thanks for responding
According to an MRI in 2008 I had 2mm and 3mm herniations at C5/C6 and C6/ C7. Both having mild to slight central stenosis. Disc desiccation without protrusion at T1-2.
On my Xray from 2008 it said: Very minimal hypertrophic uncovertebral joints at C5-C6. Minimal osteophyte formations and foraminal impingement at C5/C6.
A few years back I went to PT because of a disc bulge at C5-6 which was causing symptoms such as pain, muscle spasms, stiffness, headache creeping up to the back of the skull, and limited range of movement. I used heat, Aspercreme, tens unit, and meds (vicodin, skelaxin, NSAIDS) to manage my symptoms. I even bought a countered memory foam pillow designed to support the neck. After a couple of months my neck pain subsided.
I thought I was in the clear with this type of problem. Little did I know that a big surprise was coming- 2 months later I blew out L4-5 and L5-S1.
I have had MRI's of my cervical and thoracic and they show a bunch of disc bulges and milder DDD. A psyiatrist told me that nothing could be done and PT would be a waste of time. I do get aches here and there in those areas, but it's nothing compared to all the problems I have in my lumbar spine.
Let us know if you have an MRI, and I hope you get to feeling better. Take care
PLS,nerve damage,facet arthropathy,severe DDD,DJD,scar tissue; Fibro
Back Surgeries: Microdiscectomy/ laminectomy,2 level TLIF/Laminectomy w/ hardware, Synchromed infusion pump
Meds: Dilaudid,Oxycodone,Lyrica,Robaxin,Cymbalta,Elavil,Plaquenil
Spineys Rule!
Wow, life can be that cruel sometimes
. I've done all of that too. I wouldnt want any spine problems but I think I could deal with lower back stuff better. The head is a sensitive subject for me, and since my neck is bugging it , it doesn't help.
I will let you guys know what happens with my neuro tomorrow and if I go with the epidurals.
According to an MRI in 2008 I had 2mm and 3mm herniations at C5/C6 and C6/ C7. Both having mild to slight central stenosis. Disc desiccation without protrusion at T1-2.
On my Xray from 2008 it said: Very minimal hypertrophic uncovertebral joints at C5-C6. Minimal osteophyte formations and foraminal impingement at C5/C6.
yea i am beging to think im stuck like this forever until my death..
I can only imagine that neck surgery will make my cervical OA worse...very sad...
C2-3: Mild right facet joint degenerative changes and right neuroforaminal stenosis.
C3-4: Minimal diffuse discosteophyte bulge and mild central cananl stenosis.
C4-5: Mild disc height loss with central annular fissure. Small broad-based left paracentral disc protrusion. Moderate central canal stenosis-the disc protrusion abuts and mildly flattens the left ventral surface of the spinal canal.
C5-6: Disc desiccation with mild height loss.
Diffuse discosteophyte bulge and uncovertebral joint hypertrophy, moderate central canal stenosis-the discosteophyte bulge mildly flattens the ventral surface of the spinal cord. Severe neuroforaminal stenosis bilaterally, right greater than left.
4/15/2010 Pro-Disc-C C5-C6
I was injured in a car accident and was told to have surgery three years ago. He said from the injury a lot of arthritis built up and was causing a lot of the pain. I couldn't hold out for new approaches plus I don't trust them really until they are mastered. He said he scraped out a lot of it and actually felt bad for me because I am young and had a lot wrong with my neck. I am hoping the permanent nerve damage can get better. I guess time will tell. I am all for an easier approach then acdf but please make sure it's the best way to go.
Good Luck
Cin
Waiting at a light one night and a drunk driver slammed into the back of my car. She has changed my life. I'm left with two herninated disks at C4 and C5 and limp from the accident. My daughter fractured her arm. I was trying to finish my masters and I feel like she took my life from me. Docs say from this I have arthritis and DDD. It's not getting better and seems to be worse as time does by.
Cindy how did the doc scrape the arthritis out?
C2-3: Mild right facet joint degenerative changes and right neuroforaminal stenosis.
C3-4: Minimal diffuse discosteophyte bulge and mild central cananl stenosis.
C4-5: Mild disc height loss with central annular fissure. Small broad-based left paracentral disc protrusion. Moderate central canal stenosis-the disc protrusion abuts and mildly flattens the left ventral surface of the spinal canal.
C5-6: Disc desiccation with mild height loss.
Diffuse discosteophyte bulge and uncovertebral joint hypertrophy, moderate central canal stenosis-the discosteophyte bulge mildly flattens the ventral surface of the spinal cord. Severe neuroforaminal stenosis bilaterally, right greater than left.
4/15/2010 Pro-Disc-C C5-C6