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neck and lft shoulder pain

I was diagnosed with diffuse disc desiccatio,straightening of the normal cervical lordosis,right sided disc protrusion/herniation at c3-4 which effaces the ventral subarachnoid space to abut the ventral spinal cord,there is mild c4 right neuroforaminal narrowing,diffuse disc bulging at c4-5,moderate central canal stenosis and moderate bilateral c5 neoroforaminal stenosis.This is the impression from a cervical mri.I am suffering with severe lft upper arm and neck pain,no matter what position i am in it still is unmangeable,the doc is sending me to physical therapy.This condition started more than 10yrs ago with a slip and fall and seems to be getting progressively worse,to the point that i am constantly in pain,The doc said surgery is the last resort,but i am having great difficulty dealing with the pain.I take celebrex,skelaxin which trakes the edge off but i can't work when i am on the skelaxin it fogs my thinking.I havr had PT<epidural,acupuncture,chiro,and i only get temporary,now i am experiencing episodes of blurred vision,nausea.If surgery can eliminate the persistant suffering,would i be better off.I am afraid that i will only prolong my misery if i don't fix it since it has been years of pain and not getting better,i am 43 i am a rn and bending and on ,y feet all day,but the time i get home,iwant to shoot myself,i have a high pain tolerance and do not take narcotics,can you help?
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Avatar universal
I too suffered with right arm and shoulder and neck pain.  I also have degenerative discs in my neck.  I treated for neck pain, did injuections, and nothing helped,until I did an MRI of the shoulder.  I had a dislocated bicep tendon and a three inch tear in the rotator cuff.  My neck was painful because I was over compensating because I couldn't use the shoulder.
I had surgery to fix the repairs and the neck pain is gone and the arm is usable again.
Have everything checked out before you have them cut on your neck.  Best of luck
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Avatar universal
The doctor is doing every thing by the book,physical therapy is the last thing they do,before surgery is totally recommended.It sounds like you might have a nerve compressed in your neck.When was your last MRI?Did it show any thing different?
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