neck pain, disc after injury

[norbert huntley]

I fell down stairs at work, grabbed the rail with my left hand. I ended up nose down on the cement with my head turned right. neck hurt, shoulder hurt. went to md and discovered shoulder tear (rotator cuff tear) and had surgury. during this process I had a mri of my neck which was reported as normal. 6 months later neck still hurts, left hand weak (drops stuff)  a new mri shows a "focal small disc bulge" at C6 on left..  how does this work? do discs 'pop' over time? what is the mechanism for this event.  No other injury and I have been very careful and in on & off pain this last 6 months!!  Work compenstion board said it was iatrogenic  what ever this is. the last exam showed 'weak areas of hand & arm as well as numbness'   not always but mostly when it is flared up

  the md in my case is not helpful and does not realy listen to me  just gives me vicodine for the pain
so I would appreciate some help here
thanx

[mike1105]

I DOUBT A SMALL FOCAL DISC BULDGE COLD CAUE YOUR SYMPTOM OF WEAKNESS IN THE HAND. THERE MAY BE A CARPAL TUNNEL ISSUE. IATROGENIC MEANS CAUSED BY THE SURGERY--OR MORE SPECIFICALLY IT MEANS CAUSED BY BAD SURGERY. WORKMEN'S COMP BOARDS HAVE THEIR OWN FINANCIAL INTERESTS---I WOULD NOT TRUST THEIR DIAGNOSIS.

YOU SHOULD SEE A NEUROLOGIST.

IF THEE SYKMPTOMS IN YOUR ARM/HAND COME AND GO, THE PROBLEM MAY BE MUSCLE SPASM-- WHICH WHEN IT FLARES UP CAN "PINCH" ON NERVES, ESPECIALLY MUSCLES IN THE NECK LIKE THE SCALENES.

[Chroni]

I recently had a MRI on my neck..  the test results showed that I had a buldging disc on my left side of my neck.  which is pushing up againist a nerve..  Causing my left arm to go NUMB all the way to my fingers.

is there anytype of therapy available to fix this without having surgery?

[manpt]

Norbert, a neurologist/neurosurgeon consult and possibly and EMG/NCV test seem pertinent for you. A small disc bulge in that area of the neck is common in any neck over the age of 40 and since it was absent from original films must be considered insignificant in causing your pain/weakness. Likely the disc was injured but only showed up only now because it took some time for the disc to become degenerated from the original injury, but it's unlikely to be the sole cause of your symptoms. You should be evaluated for a neuropraxia (stretching of a nerve) that resulted from your injury and can cause weakness, pain, and numbness in a larger distribution of the arm and hand (disc "bulges" usually just give a small area of numbness and weakness of only 1 or 2 muscles. You're looking at a peripheral nerve or brachial plexus injury, likely due to traction of the arm as you grabbed the railing and fell forcefully. Pain likely comes and goes as swelling around the injured nerve(s) comes and goes, and may be due to the healing process of the injured nerve(s). Carpal tunnel syndrome is a dubious diagnosis and is extremely unlikely for you (you have a clear mechanism of injury). So to repeat, please see a neurosurgeon, preferably of your own choosing and/or by recommendation, rather than one work comp wants you to see.