DX

For the past couple of weeks, Ive been having a tingle sensation in my pinky and ring finger along with cold pain starting from my neck and radiating down my shoulder. It is also accompanied by a sharp pain down th medial border of my left scapula. I am a pre-physical therapy major and figured that it might be a nerve impingment. I decided to go to the DO on campus and he did a couple of palpations around my neck. He then said I had a lot of muscle tightness around it and started passively moving my neck around. He asked if I ever pop my neck and I said no. He asked me if he would like him to pop it. I figured since he was a DO and all, he knew whiat he was doing and let him "pop" my neck. He said it could be muscle tightness that was cutting off the brachial plexus and gave me a prescription for some corticosteroids. He said these would help with the inflamation (inflammation) and that the pain should subside. This is what I don't understand. He asked that I go back in a week and let me know how the medication worked. Here is what through me off a little. He said if the medication didn't work, it could be a cervical disc. So this is my question, Is it ok to manipulate someones neck, without ruling out the possibility that it could be a cervival disk?? It has been a week since that visit and I did take all of the medication yet, feel that my symptoms have increased.

[Adam Tanase, D.C.]

When someone has a disc herniation in the lower back, they can develop what's called antalgic posture, or a compensatory lean.

A similar type of sign will occur when a patient has a cervical disc herniation. Based on the description you've given, I'm not inclined to think you have a cervical disc problem.

I would recommend getting cervical x-rays. This would provide some internal perspective to see what may be going on structurally, as opposed to muscularly.

Adam Tanase, D.C.
www.drtanase.com