Cervical Stenosis with Spondylosis
I am 44yrs old and have had lower back pain since my late teens. I have arthritis in the lower back and herniated discs. One year ago I received an MRI of my neck as I was having problems. I was found to have Congenital Small Cervical Spine and two discs were herniated. One year later I have pain in my shoulder blades, tingling and pain in my arms (which has progressed from an achy constant pain) and pain in my chest. I get these chest pains also that they say arent my heart, which Im very happy about. I am wondering if anyone has the same problem that I do and do they get the sharp pains in the left chest area along with the pain in the back and arms? I have to believe this pain is caused from the neck problems as there is no other reason but nothing Ive read on what I have mentions chest pain. I also have a hard time swallowing things at times. The surgeon Ive seen tells me that when the pain gets bad again to come back. Im assuming that not sleeping well because Im dreaming about the pain going on in my body and not getting any lower than a 4 on the pain scale is not a good enough reason to help me.
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4 Responses
jpie. so sorry to hear about your pain. I have multiple degenerative issues in my neck and lower back. The neck problems have led to similar feelings in my arms and shoulders, not the heart stuff though.
definitely see a spine specialist to see what they can do. Good Luck!
hey jpie. i have the same symptoms. my pain started in left shoulder and have been on workman's comp and light duty at work for 4 mths. the company dr. decided to do another mri of my neck since the one of my shoulder didn't show anything. BINGO. what a mess it is. never had an injuty to neck that i know of. they tell me they usually only see it that severe when there's been a car accident or of the sort. i am going into surgery this next week. have done all the shots, therapy, etc and nothing works. pain is in the whole upper part of my body, including chest. not looking forward to surgery but i am some relief. good luck to you
Hi Jpie,
I am a 47 yr old with fusions at C4-5 and 5-6. I have multiple lumbar spine herniations. Do not suffer, have the surgery. I waited a year and it was unnessesary suffering. The surgery was a breeze and the pain was gone when I woke from anesthesia. FYI I did get the pain in my chest, but check it out with a good cardiologist and then you can feel safe. Remember that everyones pain scale if different. If your pain stops you from doing the things that you need to do tell your doctor. If he or she does not help you GO TO ANOTHER DOCTOR! Also have you had your thyroid checked? If you have trouble swallowing that could be a factor. All of these problems seem to be inter-connected, your spine issues, thyroid, high BP, High lipids or cholesterol. Have all of these things checked. Good Luck!
Thank you for all your recommendations. I have been seeing my Neurologist, Neurosurgeon, Regular Dr, Heart Dr and had another MRI. I have now been told that I have Congenital Spinal Stenosis which is rare I guess since mine is on the very small side. Ever since I was a teen Ive had low back problems and when I was 23 my back went out and was told I had degenerative disc disease and arthritis. I blew it off and dealt with the pain as I had young children and didnt have time to slow down. Now my body has made me slow down. I will not be working any longer as I cannot even stand to sit for too long. It saddens me deeply as I have the kind of job that people only dream about that pays well and I enjoyed going to on a daily basis. I never dreamed of having to make time blocks during the day and make myself stick to it to do things or I will be no good for the next few days if I dont. Im too young for this and wonder what kind of life I have to look forward to. The Neurosurgeon showed me the herniation and told me that after I have the operation on my hips I need to come back and see him to have my low back operated on. If my life is going to be filled with surgeries I dont think I like the sounds of that. I was in a good place when I had the Cervical Spine operated on and did well with that. At this point I dont think three more invasive operations in the next year are something I can mentally handle. I think I will be adding another kind of Dr to my list before I go forward with anymore surgeries. Its become quite depressing to continue to get such bad news each time you see your Drs. For years I was told nothing was wrong and it was all in my head. Now i find out it isnt in my head and I have to wonder if Id have found these good Drs back then if Id have gotten this bad this quickly? I want someone to blame I guess for not listening to me for so long.