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QUESTION FOR DOCTORS
maryalice40 posted:
If your neck has a problem, can pain radiate into your jaw & side of your head? If it's a problem in the upper thoracic, can it radiate into your neck, jaw, & head? Can frequency, urgency, incontinence from nerve sensations be due to back problems? Can any of these problems, upper/lower thoracic & neck, cause shooting pains through your arms & legs. Tingling from head to toe? My neuro says that the nerves only go so far from your spine, and tells me there is no way my spine is doing this.
I started out about two years ago with upper thoracic pain radiating upward. When I was in PT, I developed sharp pain in my lower thoracic, I don't know if it was from where he was pressing on my spine so hard, or what to think. When I was sent to a chriopracter maybe March?, my neck was popping constantly when I'd turn it, he cracked my neck, and it caused tenderness, nausea, pain, and it cracked about 30 times in a row right in my spinal bone when you'd lightly press on it. It hurts me alot now. I have developed lumbar pain since March. But I have had the nerve problems in my bladder alot longer than that. I have widespread degeneration, osteophytes, & disc narrowing in my neck. Those are in the area where my neck & lumbar area are giving me problems. The x-ray didn't state where the degeneration was in my thoracic, just said multiple areas. Degeneration is noted as normal with aging but I have not had an MRI to see if my spine is affecting my nerves.
The pain gets severe and runs through my spine. It just feels like a disease that is spreading throughout my back. I have cooling sensations, burning, twitching, shooting pains, tingling (everywhere), sharp pain, dull throbbing pain, muscle spasms, headaches.
My neuro thinks I have MS. I had an attack of tingling and myofacial pain in 2005. But I have a positive ANA 1:640 homogenous, 1:640 nucleolar, and my RNP levels were 7.3 H (0.0-0.9 normal range), I am being sent to a rhematologist for evaluation of mixed connective tissue disease. I've been sick for 14 years (muscle pain, severe fatigue). I had a brain MRI w/o contrast in 2005 and it was normal. I have also been displaying severe congenital issues over the past few years, not sure it would still be normal if they retested me. The nerve symptoms have been persistant since the back pain started.
I'm trying to find out if the back pain can cause these nerve symptoms, and why might it be that my back problems have become so widespread?
I started out about two years ago with upper thoracic pain radiating upward. When I was in PT, I developed sharp pain in my lower thoracic, I don't know if it was from where he was pressing on my spine so hard, or what to think. When I was sent to a chriopracter maybe March?, my neck was popping constantly when I'd turn it, he cracked my neck, and it caused tenderness, nausea, pain, and it cracked about 30 times in a row right in my spinal bone when you'd lightly press on it. It hurts me alot now. I have developed lumbar pain since March. But I have had the nerve problems in my bladder alot longer than that. I have widespread degeneration, osteophytes, & disc narrowing in my neck. Those are in the area where my neck & lumbar area are giving me problems. The x-ray didn't state where the degeneration was in my thoracic, just said multiple areas. Degeneration is noted as normal with aging but I have not had an MRI to see if my spine is affecting my nerves.
The pain gets severe and runs through my spine. It just feels like a disease that is spreading throughout my back. I have cooling sensations, burning, twitching, shooting pains, tingling (everywhere), sharp pain, dull throbbing pain, muscle spasms, headaches.
My neuro thinks I have MS. I had an attack of tingling and myofacial pain in 2005. But I have a positive ANA 1:640 homogenous, 1:640 nucleolar, and my RNP levels were 7.3 H (0.0-0.9 normal range), I am being sent to a rhematologist for evaluation of mixed connective tissue disease. I've been sick for 14 years (muscle pain, severe fatigue). I had a brain MRI w/o contrast in 2005 and it was normal. I have also been displaying severe congenital issues over the past few years, not sure it would still be normal if they retested me. The nerve symptoms have been persistant since the back pain started.
I'm trying to find out if the back pain can cause these nerve symptoms, and why might it be that my back problems have become so widespread?
4 Replies |Watch This Discussion | Report This| Share this:QUESTION FOR DOCTORSIf your neck has a problem, can pain radiate into your jaw & side of your head? If it's a problem in the upper thoracic, can it radiate into your neck, jaw, & head? Can frequency, urgency, incontinence from nerve sensations be due to back problems? Can any of these problems, upper/lower thoracic & neck, cause shooting pains through your arms & legs. Tingling from head to toe? My neuro says that the nerves only go so far from your spine, and tells me there is no way my spine is doing this. <br /> <br />I started out about two years ago with upper thoracic pain radiating upward. When I was in PT, I developed sharp pain in my lower thoracic, I don't know if it was from where he was pressing on my spine so hard, or what to think. When I was sent to a chriopracter maybe March?, my neck was popping constantly when I'd turn it, he cracked my neck, and it caused tenderness, nausea, pain, and it cracked about 30 times in a row right in my spinal bone when you'd lightly press on it. It hurts me alot now. I have developed lumbar pain since March. But I have had the nerve problems in my bladder alot longer than that. I have widespread degeneration, osteophytes, & disc narrowing in my neck. Those are in the area where my neck & lumbar area are giving me problems. The x-ray didn't state where the degeneration was in my thoracic, just said multiple areas. Degeneration is noted as normal with aging but I have not had an MRI to see if my spine is affecting my nerves. <br /> <br />The pain gets severe and runs through my spine. It just feels like a disease that is spreading throughout my back. I have cooling sensations, burning, twitching, shooting pains, tingling (everywhere), sharp pain, dull throbbing pain, muscle spasms, headaches. <br /><br />My neuro thinks I have MS. I had an attack of tingling and myofacial pain in 2005. But I have a positive ANA 1:640 homogenous, 1:640 nucleolar, and my RNP levels were 7.3 H (0.0-0.9 normal range), I am being sent to a rhematologist for evaluation of mixed connective tissue disease. I've been sick for 14 years (muscle pain, severe fatigue). I had a brain MRI w/o contrast in 2005 and it was normal. I have also been displaying severe congenital issues over the past few years, not sure it would still be normal if they retested me. The nerve symptoms have been persistant since the back pain started. <br /> <br />I'm trying to find out if the back pain can cause these nerve symptoms, and why might it be that my back problems have become so widespread?
bj1208 responded:
Hi MaryAlice - been quite a few posts since you posted this -
Just bumping it up to top!
Just bumping it up to top!
Report This| Share this:QUESTION FOR DOCTORSHi MaryAlice - been quite a few posts since you posted this -<br /><br />Just bumping it up to top! <img src="http://img.webmd.com/community/images/smile.gif" align="top" border="0">
Nomaan Ashraf, MD, MBA responded:
Mary Alice
Upper Cervical Spine nerve root compression (ie: C2 or C3 nerve root) can radiate to the back of the head and the lower portion of the jaw. But there are also nerves such as the Trigeminal nerve which can radiate pain to the jaw and this nerve does not originate in the spine.
Cervical nerve roots from the lower Cervical spine (C5, C6 and C7) can give arm pain as can upper thoracic nerves (T1)
Your wide constellation of symptoms makes it seem that your neurologist is approaching things appropriately trying to evaluate you for MS and other autoimmune/neurological disorders.
Upper Cervical Spine nerve root compression (ie: C2 or C3 nerve root) can radiate to the back of the head and the lower portion of the jaw. But there are also nerves such as the Trigeminal nerve which can radiate pain to the jaw and this nerve does not originate in the spine.
Cervical nerve roots from the lower Cervical spine (C5, C6 and C7) can give arm pain as can upper thoracic nerves (T1)
Your wide constellation of symptoms makes it seem that your neurologist is approaching things appropriately trying to evaluate you for MS and other autoimmune/neurological disorders.
Report This| Share this:QUESTION FOR DOCTORSMary Alice<br />Upper Cervical Spine nerve root compression (ie: C2 or C3 nerve root) can radiate to the back of the head and the lower portion of the jaw. But there are also nerves such as the Trigeminal nerve which can radiate pain to the jaw and this nerve does not originate in the spine.<br />Cervical nerve roots from the lower Cervical spine (C5, C6 and C7) can give arm pain as can upper thoracic nerves (T1)<br /><br />Your wide constellation of symptoms makes it seem that your neurologist is approaching things appropriately trying to evaluate you for MS and other autoimmune/neurological disorders.
maryalice40 replied to Nomaan Ashraf, MD, MBA's response:
Imuran has calmed my nerve pain down quite a bit. But I am still dealing with cervical pain that I cannot tolerate. The only thing that helps this when it flares up is Toradol injections, which I know is not safe but I am getting them twice a week. Could steriod injections relieve the pain for a longer amount of time? With toradol, it just keeps coming back. I get too sick with narcotics and I don't know what to do.
Report This| Share this:QUESTION FOR DOCTORSImuran has calmed my nerve pain down quite a bit. But I am still dealing with cervical pain that I cannot tolerate. The only thing that helps this when it flares up is Toradol injections, which I know is not safe but I am getting them twice a week. Could steriod injections relieve the pain for a longer amount of time? With toradol, it just keeps coming back. I get too sick with narcotics and I don't know what to do.
Mary Alice
Response to steroid injection varies significantly from person to person. With your wide range of chronic symptoms I would be a little apprehensive before proceeding with injections. You really should see a spine surgeon who can assess your spine and other issues to give you a good sense of what portion of your symptoms could predictably improve with the injections
I hope this helps and you feel better
Response to steroid injection varies significantly from person to person. With your wide range of chronic symptoms I would be a little apprehensive before proceeding with injections. You really should see a spine surgeon who can assess your spine and other issues to give you a good sense of what portion of your symptoms could predictably improve with the injections
I hope this helps and you feel better
Report This| Share this:QUESTION FOR DOCTORSMary Alice<br /><br />Response to steroid injection varies significantly from person to person. With your wide range of chronic symptoms I would be a little apprehensive before proceeding with injections. You really should see a spine surgeon who can assess your spine and other issues to give you a good sense of what portion of your symptoms could predictably improve with the injections<br /><br />I hope this helps and you feel better
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