Pinched Nerves in the Neck

[Leyzee]

Please can you help me with this annoying and stressing pain down my left side. It started 4 weeks ago when I had awoken up with a stiff neck, Thinking that a good massage and a few trips to get an acupuncture done would help relieve some of the tension that I was feeling in the neck. After a few weeks of aches and stiffness, I started to get a feeling of numbness down my left arm right down to my thumb. Concerned with this unfamiliar sensation, I decided to go to see my GP about the symptoms. I was sent for a CT scan, ultra-sound scan and finally a MRI scan....the results were that I had a pinched nerve also with mild arithirits in the discs.
MRI Cervical Spine says

Torticollis to left. C5/C6 degeneration

There is reversal of the normal cervical lordosis. Vertebral body height and intervertebral disc space height is maintained. There is loss of hydration in all of discs from C2/C3 to C6/C7.
Significant left posterior disc bulge at C5/C6. This is causing mild flattening of  the cord anteriorly; however there is no abnormal cord signal.
Left C6 nerve root is compressed by the disc in the left C5/C6 neural exit foramen.
There is some neural exit foramen stenosis on the right at C5/C6 with possible compression of th right C6 nerve root.
CONCLUSION: There is reversal of normal cervical lordosis. There is left posterior disc bulge at C5/C6 with probable compression of the left C6 nerve root.

Please can someone please explain whats this is trying to tell me. I'm gathering from this that I have something thats compressed with nerve roots. Will this mean I will have to have some kind of treatment done, and if so what is the next step taken with someone with my condition. Is there anything I can do to ease the pain and feelings that I'm having down my left side of my arm? Please can you help me to understand this.
I'm hoping for some good news to help get my arm back to working properly.
Thank you for your help.

[Leyzee]

Thank you Dr Sharma for explaining as to whats been happening with the pinching feeling that I've been experiencing. Its nice to know and understand whats going on with the feeling of the numbness and pain thats been gnawing at me constantly. I've gone to see a Neurosurgeron, about this. But my first consultation with him he said that he reckons that its a pulled muscles and told me to do some exercises to help with the muscle tension but thats when he decided to still send me to have an MRI done, now its a matter of wait til my appointment date comes up in Jan 2011. I'm gonna try and see if I can get in as early as possible as I dont want to prolong this nerve pinching feeling for too long as its been long enough (6 weeks). Do you recommend active movements in my left arm, eg: doing the usual mundane duties I was doing before this injury??? I've been doing the normal everyday job to help with getting my strength back in my hand/arm as well as trying to not over strain it. I often get alot of pain mostly when my arm/hand is relaxed and it mostly comes on when I'm getting ready for bed. Is this a normal feeling to have. Thanks Dr Sharma for you help. I will be sure to take on what you've recommended, and hopefully all will be back to normal again. Thanks again I look forward to your reply. Thank You...:)

[Dr Sharma]

Hi there. your aches, stiffness, pain and numbness from the left arm to the thumb is attributable to various neck abnormalities torticollis, disc dehydration from C2 to C7, compressed left C6 nerve root by disc in the left C5/C6 neural exit foramen. You need to consult a neurosurgeon to be  evaluated for discectomy at C5/C6 level. A physiotherapist would help in relieve pain and stiffness due to torticollis, and a consult with the pain physician to relieve pain by epidural steroid injections.
This multi modal approach to therapy would improve your symptoms a lot. Take care.