Please help to inform me.

[Trying To Cope]

Hello, I am a 35 year old male who was in a mva about 6 years ago and have been suffering from pain and numbness since. I have pain in my left shoulder with streaks of pain that go from my spine into my shoulder blade area. I also suffer from numbness in my left leg and arm. Numbness is like a dull ache which is very much unbearable at times. The streaking pain in my back to the shoulder is almost like an electric current type of sensation which comes and goes periodically. Needless to say the pain and pressure in my back is pretty constant.

I went to the Emergency room within several hours of the accident because I had a severe headache which upon a ct scan showed no abnormalities. However within the first few weeks of the accident I started having the back pain and numbness and returned to the ER but x-rays showed nothing. I went for chiropractic care and begin having treatment 2x a week that helped slightly but the pain would continue to return so eventually the chiro sent me to a neurologist who sent me to have an mri on my thoracic and lumbar spine. The Lumbar spine showed no evidence of abnormalities but the thoracic conclusions where no evidence of disc herniation or spinal stenosis but there was a mild disc desiccation and mildly prominent scmorls nodes within the mid thoracic spine, Mri was without contrast. This was done on 2/28/ 03 the mva was in 8/02.

I have continued to see the neurologist and receiving pain management as well as therapeutic treatment. I had physical therapy which was ineffective and have lost mobiltiy in my left shoulder, because of the pain I have babied the left arm and even sit leaning to the right side. I was sent for trigger point injections which were also ineffective, the physician that administered the trigger points sent me to have another Mri of the t-spine the conclusions are as follows.

1. 3-4 mm central and left paracentral disc protrusion t7-8. Effacement of the ventral and left lateral margin of the thoracic cord. No evidence of neural foraminal   narrowing.

2. Multilevel Schmorls node formation T7, T8, T9,and T10. Date of Mri was 9/22/05

My question is why is this mri so very different than the first? And what are effective treatments that could help me to be more functional? Also is there any surgical procedures that would benefit me?  Also is the 3-4 mm is that considered mild or moderate?

Thank you for any answers and information, I apologize for the length but I wanted to be as thorough as possible.

Sincerely,

Trying To cope.

[Trying To Cope]

Once again, can I get a physician to read this and answer my questions? Thank you.

[Trying To Cope]

Thank  you isthiscp, I am still trying to get intervention but the surgery sounds a little to extensive and could make things much worse. I would still like information from some of the experts as to good treatment. Also, i was told that schmorls nodes ussually appear after trauma. Please any Physicians who read this give me some advice. My Dr. isnt very good at explaining things to me because he uses very BIG words that i dont understand, but I do feel comfortable with his knowledge and abilities.

[isthiscp]

Sounds like degenerative disc disease to me. You can google it and see if you think it fits. I had an mva in Dec 06. Multiple injuries(two spinal fractures t8 t9, cervical disc protrusions c5/c6, lumbar disc ruptures, nerve damge etc. I was never treated and 18 months on have gone down hill. I have profound loss of pwer in left hand and leg(all started with pins and needles by the way!) Dont let the neuro put you off by selling you blocker injection, they just prolong everything. You need help and intervention NOW