Spinal Problems Archives

Cervical Spine

Dr. Stoll, I had a mountain bike wreck in October of 1999. It took 6 months or more to get through the road rash. I don't know how I landed, but I cracked my helmet, and had road rash on my right forearm and back right shoulder.

MRI revealed a torn AC joint, Mild disc bulging at C5-6, disc protrusion at C6-7 both causing mild cord compression and finally mild disc bulging at C4-5 causing central stenosis with mild cord compression.

This is the tricky part. After road rash and AC joint healed I felt aches in right shoulder, left hip, tightness in neck muscles and what felt like carpel tunnel in my wrists. Numbness started to appear in my right thumb and first finger.

I went to a chiropractor. He took away the aches, but one day decided to adjust my AC joint. When he did I heard what sounded like a tear and excruciating pain. Pain which was worse than the aches before which required darvocet for me to sleep. I immediately got swelling in between right side of neck and right shoulder. Also, numbness got intense from right shoulder down to three fingers in right hand.

I had a nerve block which solved everything for 6 months. Then I had a series of 3 steriod injections which took away approximately 60% of the swelled area on right shoulder blade.

The series of injections were completed last month.

I can take a Bextra once a day and feel pretty good, but don't want to rely on a pill or suffer liver problems later in life.

I went and got accupuncture done to my right arm and what is called "cupping" to my right shoulder blade, right side of neck, and right side of spine. This took away all my discomfort and he wants me to continue this every week.

The neurosurgeon wants to do a two level fusion for now, and says he will have to do a third one later in my life.

What are your feelings or opinion?

Re: Cervical Spine

Re: Cervical Spine (Risks of extreme sports.) Archive in spine.