Inflammation/Pain in Muscles

[stonecold357]

Dear Sir or Madam,
I have some questions:
I was seeing an orthopedic doctor for shoulder impingement in Feb during which time I developed neck & back pain. Doc ordered MRI that revealed C5-6 posterior disk herniation indenting the ventral aspect of the thecal sac worse on right side. That said I made an appointment to see pysiatrist who performed an number of test. Which were:
Sed Rate result 48 (high)
Protein result 7.6 (normal)
Aldolase result 5.8 (normal)
ANA  result negative
CRP result 7.4 result (high)
HLA-B27 result negative
RA Factor result negative
TSH result 2.390  (normal)
Bone Scan- increased uptake of tracer in shoulders bilaterally as well as cervical and thoracic spine suggestive of degenerative/arthritic change (doctor said this is normal for someone who lifts weights)
Electrodiagnostic testing of musculature was normal.
Pysiatrist concluded pain was the result of herniated disk and not autoimmune, RA or other type of disease.Underwent Epidural didn't last three days, facet injections did work, prednisone gave temporary relief.Went to a neurosurgeon since I was pushing for surgery. He spent two minutes with me, couldn't get him to read review my medical records or lab test results. Told me that my inflammation was from some sort of infection or RA or other autoimmune disease and not from herniated disk. Said I was not a surgical candidate and that I should see a Rheumatologist.
I am really confused and concerned about contradicting medical diagnosis, can I get some feed back about info provided?
Many thanks,
Stonecold

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
Well, if there are degenerative changes, then they can improve by physiotherapy, traction, surgery etc. The best treatment option is decided after reviewing the situation, and yes, a rheumatologist in combination with an orthopedic specialist can tell you best what needs to be done.
It can also be due to inflammation of the muscles or myositis. Other than that, get a nerve conduction velocity test to know if there is any nerve compression. Metabolic disorders like diabetes, hypothyroidism and low calcium could also be a cause and hence get this checked. Hope this helps. Take care!

[ITCHY2011]

See a chiropractor, it is a good bet that after a month or two of manipulation from a chiropractor you'll improve and the problem will go away.  All the nerves in the whole body run through the back.  A herniated disk can cause some strange symptoms that can be alleviated when the pressure is taken off the disc.
The cortasteroids are only temporary solutions (like asprin) and can cause weight gain and tumors.  A good chiropractor wouldn't let you take them.