Blunt trauma to back of neck as I got off of floor

[melman2]

Hello all,

Finally I post my own "issues" hoping to find some honest feed back since it is very contradicting from doctor to neuro to physical therapist to pain management doc to ...many can relate where I am going with this. Well let me start off by explaining my two injuries to my neck. First one, I was working on something near the floor then when I was finished I got up only to "WACK" the back of my neck straight on to a metal bar.!! I hit the floor on my rear and blacked out for like 2 minutes a friend said. I was consious and then laid on my back and blacked out another two minutes. After I got up I felt like if I had swallowed my adams apple. I shrugged my head, did some strecthing and thought I would take one for the team. Note...I was not aware that I blacked out..my friend told me but I could not believe it. I am 29 years old very athletic and just thought I would let mother nature heal my "Bruise". Like two weeks later I went to a chiro because I still had soreness in my neck. They gave me a shot of the ultrasound machine, next day I felt like $h1T!! you get the picture. I called the office and they told me to take Naproxen sodium or advil...I did and to my luck the doctors office closed down. This happened Aug. 08. I just took advil every day 3 in the morning 3 at night. I had pain in my arms, back and legs. Numbness in my left arm and fingers different fingers at time. I actually thought I was having a heart attack..but no not me I am only 29 and athletic. So I did not know where these new pains were coming from. Then later in November 08 I had an explosion in front of my face that scared me and I abrutly swung my head back and hit a wall at the same time. I felt a strong burning sensation on my right side more of a muscle burn. My hands were shaking and I just relaxed to calm down. After that incident I was never ok anymore. Before this some days I was ok and some days I was bad. But now these issues became constant such as my inner nerve pains to the different body limbs. I took off on vacation and in January I started freaking out because when I would swallow my right side of my neck would hurt like a cramp. I went to my primary doctor and he ordered a brain and Cervical Mri since also I had some terrible head pains which I do not consider headaches because my Eyeballs hurt very bad when touch them and during the worst of pain it feels as if they are pulling towards the back of my head. To my luck my MRI showed me to have 4 bulged disks in my neck with the worst being C4-C5 and C5-C6 but other remained with slight bulges that you can see on the MRI poking my spinal cord on the white portion. The worst disks have bilateral Parasagittal disk protrusions narrowing of the neural foramina and spinal canal without contacting the spinal cord. Another disk has a asymmetric disc bulge more prominent in left neuoforaminal region without significant spinal canal stenosis.Minimal cervical spindylosis and degenerative disc disease. I went to my Neuro and he told me that we were going to try physical therapy for a month and if no improvement he recommended surgery on three disks but with physical therapy he was hoping to minimize surgery to only one disk which is the C5-C6 disk. He prescribed celbrex, skelaxin and Hydorcodene for pain. Well I ended up the the hospital for a 4 day stint before physical therapy started. My neck hurt like in a burning sensation and I feel like the meds may have made my muscles feel like "jello". I had bad pain sleeping, and my arms and shoulder blades pretty much were on pain overdrive. My pinky fingers on both hands closed by themselves which was scary and my thumb on my right hand spasms during the day. At the hospital they gave me two shots of Dilatted Morphine and one of Valium which nocked me out. The Neuro told me he might just keep me in there and do surgery after I was stabalized. He changed his mind and prescribed an Epidural sterioid injection to speed the inflammation down. I got out and now have LidoDerm patches for pain and take 6 norcos pills during the day plus skelaxin. I am tired of meds. Physical therapy told me that she could not do much for my discs with the traction and really only worked on my muscles to loosen them up since they are very tight around my neck and shoulder blades. My neurosurgeon then had a second opinion at the hospital and said I might have "disk dislocation". I am confused. I will see him tommorow March 18 2009 for the update with the physical therapy evaluation. I sometimes do not take my meds just to see if I am getting better but reality kicks me in the butt. My back of the neck starts burning like an open wound and my nerve pain down both arms and hands and my left leg increase. With the pain meds I still feel the pain but obviously more managable. I have lost 13 pounds in the last month and a half and my left arm is becoming weaker, my bicep muscle is looser. I get bad muscle spasm on my neck that when I swallow it feels like a jawbreaker candy is going down my throat.I am tired of this situation. My questions are 1. Can I have hurt more than my Cervical spine? 2. My neuro says that my leg pain and Eye pain is not associated with the cervical disks can someone explain this to me? 3. Why does the back of my neck feel like a open wound, this is new and is what sent me to the E.R last month? 4 Why did my pinky fingers close on me by themselves?5 Could I have strecthed out my spinal cord since it was a pretty good hit? Anybody out there with similar issues?? Please help I am tired and I have family to support I am out of work and have three kids I can not even pick up due to my 5 lb restrictions at this point. THANK YOU ahead of time to all that reply

[melman2]

Another question if any one knows. What is the difference on the Spinal cord, when seen in the MRI, from the White and the darker center??

[selmaS]

HI, I also have cervial spinal stinosis and DDD.In addition I have chiari.I am not sure if ur symptoms r similar bcuz of the cervical area being affected in both of us and that is where it will be noticed.Chiari's symptoms can cycle....I wonder if u might have cervical cranial instability.Has ur dr mentioned this possibility?

Below I copy and pasted info on an EMG the link is provided.
******************************************************************************************************
EMG is most often used when people have symptoms of weakness and examination shows impaired muscle strength. It can help to differentiate primary muscle conditions from muscle weakness caused by neurologic disorders



http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003929.htm


Please post an update
"selma"

[melman2]

Well I came back from my neuro appointment. He has recommended an EMG. What does that do and what kind of results are they looking for??. Also he has sent me to see a rhumatologist to check if I have damaged any muscle, tendons, or now have joint problems from my injuries.Has anyone been to a rhumatologist for cervical disk problems before??? My headaches accompanied by blurry vision are still coming, and sometimes my hands start shaking but not too much. When the physical therapist performs traction It actually hurts on the lower left side of my neck like if a ball is going to pop, so I do not think I want to perform mild axial traction on my self. The neuro said if my nerve pain does not go away in two months he will go in and take out one disk which is my C5-C6. Is there such a thing of nerve damage that symptoms do not stay constant ?? I appreciate all replies. He also told me not to wear the soft cervical collar but during rides in the car I use it for the usual bumps and jolts. I still do not drive and now I am starting to feel a little deppressed because keeping up with physical therapy and all the doctors appointments is the hardest job I ever had since my wife has to come home from work to drive me....

[caregiver222]

First of all you do not "definitely require surgury". That is a comment made without full knowledge of the situation. Surgury is likely, but not, at this point inevitable.

There are several treatment options, including injection of oxygen-ozone into the interstitial speced between the vertabrae to reduce swelling.  

You need to consider MILD axial traction, for short periods (5-10 minutes) several time a day. An axial traction harness can be obtained without prescrition for about $35.

A cervical collar is contraindicated because it causes loss of muscle tone.

The eye pain can most definitely be connected with your injury. There is a specialty called opthamological neurology, which may provide help.

It is very possible you suffered a serious concusion resulting in swelling that, because it was untreated, caused neurological damage.

Physical therapy is a very good idea. Keep yourself well hydrated and take anti-inflamatories. Ask your physician about a short period of oral prednisone. They don't like to do this, but a week of prednisone would definitely reduce the inflammation.

[mini_d]

Hi,

It is possible that you hurt more than your cervical spine, but anything else is not an immediate concern right now. Your spine requires IMMEDIATE treatment.

Eye pain is not associated ith your spine problems. You may consult an ophthalmologist.

Worsening of neck pain is due to progress of the effects of injury.

Spontaneous dystonic movements are alsodue to the effect of your spine injury

The spinal cord has been injured due to the inury on the cervical spine. Any more severe and the effects would have been worse.

The main reason for all these issues that you currently have is the fact that you neglected your injury. Pleas do not do so in the future.You will definitely need surgical treatment for your cervical spine. There seem no conflicting reports by your doctors, except for thinking of additional possibilities.

Do come back with any other queries

Regards