Just got my MRI results as my DR said I have 7 or more bone spurs around the C4 C5 C6 & C7. and osteophyte formation around all of those vertebre and two buldging disks.
The report has stuff like "bilateral neural foraminal encroachment" is that bone spurs? I have "osteophyte formation at all of these levels. Is that Osteoarthritis? My Rheumy says I have RA. I'm quite confused and don't see him until the last of the month.
My Chiropractor that orded the MRI said there is nothing a c-practor or Physical Therapist could do to fix my neck and I'm looking a surgery. Said it was "The worst neck he's ever seen".......
Anyone have any veiws on this?
No, views here. Just sorry to hear about your neck pain and problems. I was hoping for the best for ya, that it really was not as bad as first thought. I am sorry bilateral:both sidesLook up bone spur! Often, bone spurs will press on nerves, which is what causes pain. Get rid of spurs, get rid of pain. Bulging discs do the same thing. Ask the chiropractor to show you the MRI pictures and point and explain. I think it will help you understand. My brother had a terrible case of bone spurs in the neck. Only surgery fixed it. He was scared before the surgery, but now he says everything is absolutely perfect. Zero pain.
If you have RA, I think it's a separate issue from bone spurs. Was your bloodwork positive for RA?
Great Answers Wayney and all! Don't worry about what the chiro said about being the worst.. Find the best neuro surgeon not orthopedic that you can and have that surgeon see if he can help you.
They can do miracles with this stuff , sometimes with micro surgery- you can sometimes walk out fixed in an hour!
Yes all very scarey but fixable.
Sounds like my MRI. I've had 2 neck surgeries. 1st one to fuse 2 disksand the 2nd one to open up the foramena they missed the 12t time. My advice is to find the best neurosurgeon you can. You have overgrown bone (spurs) pressing on the nerves coming out of your spinal chord. My arms and hands went dead when I was using a snow blower. I also had unbelievable pain between my shoulder blades in my shoulder and neck. The surgery helped a lot with the pain in my neck and between my shoulder blades but the shoulder pain is still there. I'm sure it also helped it to not get worse. again, my advice is to get the very best neurosurgeon that you can possibly get.
Good luck- you have my sympathy.
Thanks you guys,
I've been having problems since March, first numbness in the fingers on my right hand and soon my left. they diagnosed carpal tunnel, even then I thought how could it hit so quick and in both hands at the same time. I had shoulder pain and told my MD I thought it was coming from my shoulder, he said no, the shoulder pain was coming from my carpal tunnel.
I've suffered with neck problems for years, I was in a car wreck in '77, the car flipped I don't remember much about it, when I saw we were going of the road I blacked out or something next thing I remember I came to and crawled out the back window, the car was upside down. But I was fine. In '85 I hit my head on a rock white water rafting. Got a concusion. Since then I've gone to Chiropractors for the past 10 15 years for neck and back problems.
Since March I've been having the numbness in my fingers progressing to the point I can't close my hand. When I lie down I get real numb in my hand, and terrible pain starting from my shoulder blade into my hands, I can't sleep. It wakes me up every hour or so.
The bone spurs make sense, he said they were like needle puncturing my nerve in my neck. So it makes sense it's worse when I lie down, more pressure.
Sometimes my hands are numb a sometimes their not, but always when I lie down. Doesn't sound like anything I've read on carpal tunnel...they would be numb all the time. My hand resemble someone who is paralized.
I have no RA factor in my blood but have the symptoms of sore feet when I get up in the morning, hips, shoulders, knees, etc. The Prednisone helped but now I'm off of it and just on Arava, starting on my third month.
The neck thing has really got me worried. I do know something has to be done and I know It's gonna be surgery. I just feel like I've been misdiagnosed since March. Why did it take 6 months, a MD, a Rheumy, and finally a new Chiropractor, to finally get an MRI?
Two years ago a another Chiropractor told me my neck was a mess and tried to "re adjust it"...
I'm pissed.
But Luv you guys for you input, thanks so much
luv
KAT
Gee that was a long post sorry, but Wayney I was hoping you would show up here. \
Thanks
KAT