Need Help Understanding Neck Symptoms

I have had many years with neck pain..I had an MRI about 1 1/2 years ago of both the Cervical and Thoractic spine. The Cervical Spine report basically stated that I had mild posterior disc bulges that are broadbased at C4-5 and C5-6 and the cervical spine is somewhat straightened. The Thoracic MRI stated mild disc bulges at T11-12 with disc desiccation and Type II degenerative change.  I really don't understand what this really means other than I have a great deal of discomfort - I was sent to PT for a short while and it really didn't help then I went to a chiropractor for quite a while....I have had some releif and have dealt with the pain since it was good for a while then would act up.  But recently I have been getting almost non-stop pain at the base of  the back of my neck and down into my sholders..sleeping is a real issue and turning my head is stiff and painful.  First question -- Can the issues that were identified on the MRI get worse for no reason (no injury) and can you suggest somthing that I can do to help the pain --I do not even understand if the issues on the MRI are "normal" or are cause for concern...I do not understand what they mean -- I was just told to go to PT to see if that would help the pain...so I don't know what I should do at this point - suggestions on what the next step i should take would be helpful.....

[helena333]

Hi, What it means, is basically that there is some wear and tear, of your spinal discs, which most of us have, sometimes it causes pain,and sometimes not. I had this several years ago,and went down the same path as you, re: treatment. I'm no expert, but the main things that helped me relieve the pain were, a heat pad on the base of my neck, wrap up in the cold, and keep your neck warm, for some reason, cold seemed to make the muscle spasms worse. The physio that I saw, told me to fully rotate my neck, in both directions, three times every waking hour--but slowly! I was very stiff at first,and it seemed to make my neck and shoulders hurt more, but gradually, it stretched my muscles, and loosened my shoulders. I've been mostly ok since then, only the odd episode, and it's when Im washing my hair, or even just a little jerky movement can set it off. I do the rotations straight away, and continue for a few days, and so far it's always gone within the week. I hope this is some help to you--I really think, it's because you are so stiff that you're in so much pain. Good luck, and stick with the excercises, boring as they are.:-)

[kay290]

neck pain/stiffness with bulging discs is a cause for concern. I developed that in January and went skiing, fell and herniated my discs. I would have never gone skiing had I known how bad my neck really was. Prescription antiinfammatories like Mobic or Naproxen may help along with a muscle relaxants and specific PT exercises. You do need to be careful with heavy lifting or injuries to avoid further damage.Google cervical disc bulges to learn more.Heat and rest helped me also-but we all know it is hard to rest with a busy life.

Take Care.