Spinal neck problems

Posted , 4 users are following.

Hi, for some time now I have had quite a few episodes where I begin to get a very strange feeling in the back of my head /neck, it moves downwards and my arms seem to go ever so heavy and I lose all power of them, I cannot lift my arms at all. I have to remain in whatever position I am in when it all starts. This strange occurrence lasts for around 5 to 7 minutes in all before the weird feeling goes and I am able to move my arms once again. I just wondered if anyone else has ever experienced anything like this.

I saw a neurologist last year who told me that the holes in the back of the neck have a covering of arthiritus and this was the only thing he could find to explain these episodes I am having. He also told e that an operation would be far more painful than dealing with the episodes I am having.

2 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • Posted

    My wife has some minor c-spine narrowing that got highly exacerbated when she had electroshock therapy (ECT) done for severe clinical depression following brain aneurysm surgery.  The therapy jolts the brain and causes one's entire body to convulse.  This is normal and has really benefited my wife.

    However, the continued tightening of her whole body, especially those weaker areas of her c-spine, led her to have a distressing episode of severe pain in her neck, left back, shoulder and arm plus down her left side.  It got so bad, we took her to an ER.

    Diagnosed as "cervical radiculopathy" (CR) which accounts for all the pain she was experiencing, the cause of which was traced to the extreme tightening of her c-spine during the convulsive treatments.  Ten days on 800 mg ibuprofen TID did the trick.  She's now being evaluated by UT Southwest's Spine Clinic as well as UT Southwest's Zale Lipshey Psychiatric Hospital to see if she can actually do any more ECT without having the same effect.

    You might want to have a doc look at your spine to see if CR is your problem.

    • Posted

      Hi ChicoMarx

      Thank you for your reply, I have had nerve conduction tests which seemed ok, I think the specialist is puzzled as to why this happens, although I use a walking stick to walk and when these episodes come on I can not even hold the stick its like my arms freeze and weigh 150 pounds, I cannot move them at all until the episode finishes. It is very puzzling indeed, almost like something takes over and I have no control, it is kind of scary.

  • Posted

    Continue to go to a another specialist and find a solution . Don't give up. Push for a diagnosis.

    need more tests to get thruout this or physical therapy. Regardless it's a process of elimination thru tests X-rays will help give the best treatment.

     

    • Posted

      ABSOLUTELY!!!!  You have to find the root cause of your problem in order to solve it.

      "Never give up!  Never Surrender!" - Tim Allen, Galaxy Quest

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