Pain on hands & buttocks, headache, dizziness. Had spine decompression. MRI done. Advised cervical exercises, massage. Concerned, paralysis?
Patient: I have been having a lot of pain that continues to worsen over a 2 year period. The doctors was running test only on my lumbar area because a couple of years ago I had decompression surgery in L4-L5. However I found a doctor who listened to me & ran the test I requested. However he only said come back & see me in a couple of months without any therapy & advised me to go online & look up cervical exercises & make sure I keep my neck lose. In addition he said massages would be good. Please see MRI results below:At the C4-C5 level, a broad based disc osteophyte protrusion appears to be present far lateral to both the right and left and posteriorly extending 3 mm posteriorly and centrally with asymmetric compontents towards each nerve foramen greater on the right than the left of approximately 5 mm to the right. Severe right neural foraminal stenosis is noted with moderate left nerve foraminal stenosis the noted. Contact of the exiting nerve root on the right and left may be present. Anterior cord contact at this level may be present with mild to moderate central canal narrowing to approximately 9 mm.At the C5-C6 level, broad based disc osteophyte spurring is noted that may relate to a broad based disc osteophyte protrusion of approximately 3 mm centrally. Moderate to severe left neural foraminal stenosis is noted with moderate right neuroforaminal stenosis. The anterior thecal sac is thinned but the anterior cord is not obviously contacted. The exiting nerve roots may be affected bilaterally particularly on the left.At the C6-C7 level, a centralprotrusion is noted of 4 mm. Moderate left neural foraminal stenosis is noted with mild right neural foraminal stenosis noted. Mild central canal stenosis is noted with the central canal narrowed to 9 mm. Anterior cord contact may be present. This protrusion descends slightly centrally.My concern is no one has treated me & the pain is so severe that just going to pick up a few things at the grocery store puts me in a lot of pain. While trying to shop I have pain in my feet, hands, and backaches within 15 minutes on my feet.In addition I still work but am in constant pain. The pain in both hands, pins & needles in my buttocks, headaches and the most recent added symptom is dizzeness! When I get home I soak in hot water then go to bed to get relief!Should I be concerned that my doctors has not put me into therapy? Can I end up with permanent paralysis? What should I do now?Thank you.BD Doctor: Hi, Thank you for posting your query. After going through your MRI cervical spine report, it seems to suggest a moderate to severe degree disc prolapse at multiple levels with compression of the nerves at these levels. This could result in neck pain as well as arm pain. In addition to physiotherapy &neck exercises, I would advise you to use cervical collar (soft) and use medications such as pregabalin or gabapentin to reduce the nerve pain. Please get back if you require any additional information.  Best wishes,  Dr Sudhir Kumar MD (Internal Medicine), DM (Neurology) Senior Consultant Neurologist Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, My personal URL on this website:  http://bit.ly/Dr-Sudhir-kumar  My email: drsudhirkumar@yahoo.com