C5-C6 minimal disc bulge

[Jendono1016]

40 year old female with right shoulder pain above the shoulder blade that radiates down my arm.  Forearm pain and stabbing pain in thumb, pointer and pinkie.  Wrist pain and palm pain.  Numness and tingling especially at night with my whole hand and fingers.  May 2009 had Lumbar disc surgery at L5-S1 for a small herniation with a floating fragment lodged in the canal.  Surgery was great but 4-5 weeks after started to go downhill again.  August 2009 had the same surgery again for the same injury, but this time much worse.  Had a large disc herniation at the same site.  Had MRI and shows minimal disc bulging at C5-C6.  The weakness and numbness are the most bothersome now.  I can't even open a door with my right hand or write.  Said there was no spinal cord impingment but what about the nerves?  Obviously i have a pinched nerve because of my symptons what do i do now?  And is there any correlation between the lumbar and cervical?

[kay290]

Get into PT also and see if it goes away in 2-3 months. You may need a surgical consult also.

[Dr. A. Srivastava]

Thank you for your question. It appears that your symptoms may be due to nerve irritation in the cervical (neck) spine because of disc bilge where contact between the edges of the vertebrae can cause neck pain. In few people, this pain may be referred and perceived as occurring in the back of head & shoulders (as electric sensation)- LHERMITTES SIGN, arms or chest, rather than just the neck. Other symptoms may include vertigo, nausea (dizziness) and stiffness. It will be best that you consult a neurologist who would like to prescribe Pain killers, steroid and muscle relaxants. Other treatments could be cervical orthosis such as a soft cervical collar or stiffer neck brace to restrict neck movement. In addition, cervical traction may also be suggested by the doctor, if condition is severe. Hope this helps.

[Kalvin]

Sounds like you've been through a lot. There isn't really any correlation between the lumbar and cervical that I know of. However surgery in the low back can change your body mechanics and that effects the way you move in general, that can cause pain. Also a lot of people that have lumbar problems, have cervical ones as well. I know I did.

Did your MRI say anything about foraminal stenosis at C5-6, the nerve could be pinched there, or the disc bulge could be extending into the neural foramina. There's got to be a reason why your having this radiculopathy. I have a lot of problems in my cervical spine too, so I know what you're going through.

Take Care