1. Community
  2. Bones, joints and muscles
  3. Cervical Spondylosis

Newly diagnosed with Cervical Stenosis

Posted , 5 users are following.

gisele34601
gisele34601

Hi all smile

I am finding a lot of your discussions and replies helpful after being recently diagnosed via MRI with mild cervical canal stenosis at my C5 C6. 

I am on the beginning of my journey to hopefully improving this condition as much as I can and would love your advice as I haven't gotten much advice from my doctor or my physical therapist yet. 

I was recently evaluated by my physical therapist and he did not look at my MRI results and he did not give me any tips on what to do and what not to do yet. I am waiting for my insurance to approve the PT's recommendation for treatment so I am not sure how long it will take for my physical therapy to start. 

My cervical stenosis is from a whiplash injury during exercise. At first it did not hurt, it was just irritating and felt like something was slightly wrong with my neck, but about a month after the initial injury I lifted some heavy objects and I was OUT. I had to lay flat and ice my neck for several days before I could see my doctor and get an MRI. Since I re-injured my neck, I have had several weeks of up and downs. I will ice my neck, take Ibuprofen and Tylenol, rest in bed, and then have two good days. Then I will lift something above my shoulders, like putting away dishes in a cupboard, and it will trigger the pain again and I will have to do the ice-rest-bed routine all over again. 

Luckily I haven't had much radiating pain and I don't feel any pain in my legs and arms. My traps are really sore and sometimes it is hard to support the weight of my head. I try to maintain good posture most of the day, squeeze in a walk on the treadmill about every other day, and basically try not to use my arms/shoulders much at all, which is frustrating and I have not been able to return to my normal life before my injury. I find doing laundry and dishes and basic house tasks difficult. I am struggling with depression, anxiety and negative thoughts about the future. 

Thank you,

Gisele

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • mike09523
    mike09523 gisele34601

    Posted

    Hi gisele, 

    Stop lifting your arms above shoulder hight now. Also do not put any strain on your neck. It's possible that you have a trapped nerve at the point of exit from spinal cord, if so you could paralise your face and arm connected to that side. I know because it happened  to me. Luckily I was able to manipulate my arm and release the nerve impingement after a few minutes, I was a very lucky man, according to  my neurosurgeon.

    Mike.

    • Tmite
      Tmite mike09523

      Posted

      I think you hit it on the head. That's why I told him about my friend Johnny and he could paralyze himself if not careful .

  • Tmite
    Tmite gisele34601

    Posted

    Sounds like you had one heck of whoop lash. I'd be careful with that. My friend I'll call Johnny has just been put to bed by his Dr. He has stenosis in his neck kind of like I have but I have it in the neck, middle and lower back. They told him that he could paralyze himself if he did any wrong movements with his neck. I guess he told me it runs genetic in his family. This really scares me cause of how my neck is. You be careful and take care. Good luck

  • jeff33138
    jeff33138 gisele34601

    Posted

    Get a head and neck MRI and find a great Neurosurgeon who is open to trying a discectomy BEFORE a corpectomy
  • UKSteve
    UKSteve gisele34601

    Posted

    my first advice and probably my only advice at this stage is

    AVOID SPINE SURGERY at all costs unless it is essential.

    I was told this from an early stage in my long journey and unfortunately in the desperate pursuit of a quick fix I ignored it to my regret.

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.