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Facial numbness, neck and back pain
by tarmale, Mar 06, 2008 03:56PM
Hi all, I'm really hoping I can get some answers! I am a 38 year old female who, up until 5 years ago, had no neck/back problems. Five years ago after suffering from chronic back pain for a couple of years I went to a chiropractor. I had never been to one and heard great things from all my friends about them. I went to get adjusted and it was the most horrific event of my life. I almost blacked out and felt like I was being broken into two. Shortly after that (about 3-4wks), my left eye started twitching almost nonstop and I had a line of numbness across the left side. My pcp sent me for an MRI and it showed: Small to moderate left parasagittal disc herniation at C4-C5 and small central disc herniation at C5-C6 not contiguous with the cervical cord. It then got worse and the whole left side of my face went numb and my neck and back spasmed for months. Finally, it got better but only after physical therapy, massage, pain killers etc. The next year I had another one as it was getting worse. At that MRI it showed the C4-C5 information the same and the C5-C6 now had a right parasagittal disc herniation as well at the C6-C7 had a tiny central disc herniation.
For a while I felt better with no pain and numbness until this past fall when at the gym I lifted a bar overheard and then it started it all over again. Having gone through so many doctors and being told many different things I finally gave up and hoped it would go away. I have been to a neurologist who did an emg on my shoulder which came back negative. He also suggested I get epidural shots in my neck which frightened me so I declined. After that I saw a couple of neurosurgeons who said they could not help me as my injury was not serious enough for surgery. I even went back to another chiropractor for an adjustment to see if the first one was just too rough but I think they all are. Again, I left and told them I would not be coming back.
The latest update is I saw an orthopedic/rehabilitation specialist last week. He is very nice and spent alot of time with me which is a rareity. He looked at my MRI's and thinks the reason for the pain, spasming and numbness is due to muscles. I agree with that for the pain but not the numbness which extends all through the back of my scalp. He gave me lidoderm patches which do nothing as I get better results from icy hot. As far as the numbness goes I'm at a loss. Noone can seem to tell me why I get this. Is anyone else out there going through the same thing or perhaps can point me in the right direction? I curse the day I went to this chiropractor and don't want to live with pain and numbness for the rest of my life. I'm taking it easy for now and walking for exercise as any lifting seems to aggravate it.
I would appreciate any help I can get as I'm desperate!
Thank you,
Diane
For a while I felt better with no pain and numbness until this past fall when at the gym I lifted a bar overheard and then it started it all over again. Having gone through so many doctors and being told many different things I finally gave up and hoped it would go away. I have been to a neurologist who did an emg on my shoulder which came back negative. He also suggested I get epidural shots in my neck which frightened me so I declined. After that I saw a couple of neurosurgeons who said they could not help me as my injury was not serious enough for surgery. I even went back to another chiropractor for an adjustment to see if the first one was just too rough but I think they all are. Again, I left and told them I would not be coming back.
The latest update is I saw an orthopedic/rehabilitation specialist last week. He is very nice and spent alot of time with me which is a rareity. He looked at my MRI's and thinks the reason for the pain, spasming and numbness is due to muscles. I agree with that for the pain but not the numbness which extends all through the back of my scalp. He gave me lidoderm patches which do nothing as I get better results from icy hot. As far as the numbness goes I'm at a loss. Noone can seem to tell me why I get this. Is anyone else out there going through the same thing or perhaps can point me in the right direction? I curse the day I went to this chiropractor and don't want to live with pain and numbness for the rest of my life. I'm taking it easy for now and walking for exercise as any lifting seems to aggravate it.
I would appreciate any help I can get as I'm desperate!
Thank you,
Diane
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you can have 3 in a short time...a lot of people get relief..good luck