Hi, I have wear and tear in my neck from C3 to C7 and my symptoms have been getting worse lately.
I've had quite a few symptoms for a while now but the one I'm asking about is the strangest feelings in my left arm. It started a while ago with the occasional feeling in my bicep area which felt like a tight squeezing which then became pins and needles/tingling. It didn't last long and was occasional only. However, this tingling is happening many times a day and feels prickly now and the weirdest thing is that every time I go to pass urine, I have this tingling/prickly feeling in my upper arm.
It isn't a positional thing as I've tried adjusting back and neck position but it doesn't help at all. It seems weird and I'm just wondering if anyone else has experienced this or can explain it. I thought bladder/bowel probs came from lower back (I've spinal stenosis/spondylisthesus there and have had L4/5 fusion).
I eventually got a phone appt with GP a wee while back and she has contacted my Spinal cons and both seemed concerned about this and feel it is coming from my neck and getting up to date MRI done as my last one was over 18 months ago.
With covid though, think there'll be a wait and I'm just wondering how /what this can be.
Thanks for reading and appreciate any replies.
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LesE62
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I think any change in sensation should be taken seriously. (I have spinal cord injuries.) Tingling or changed sensation should be checked out with a MRI as soon as possible.
Are you a man? Have you tried peeing while sitting down to see if you get the same sensation? I suspect you have a pinched nerve in your neck and it only pinches when you look downwards.
Hi LesE, suffering something very similar myself. I was only given X-ray and pretty much my neck is the same as my lower spine. Narrowing, muscle spasm, spondylosis, straightening of the lordosis, I was referred to physio. My neck and shoulders/arms are now the same as my spine in the way that affects my pelvis, hips, knees, legs and feet but now it’s neck, arms and hands. My left arm was worst affected, like a dead arm with a bit of a tremble in the little and ring finger. When I wake up sometimes my hands are both dead and my neck and shoulders so stiff.
I can see that the physio will help as its mostly stretching and improving mobility. This has become bad since working at home in dining table, I don’t feel my arms are supported and the way I’m sitting not great, I had a rising desk at work.
I think it might be time to report it to HR but the sad thing is I’m 60 in December and much prefer working at home. Suffice to say I’d have retired if it weren’t for the fact I won’t have any money to live on till I’m 67, so do I carry on getting stiffer and sorer, I don’t know the answer.
Another symptom I’m getting is the tops of my arms really itch at night and are covered in scabs and scratches, I understand this is nerve related. I had a very painful circular lump under the skin sort of in the bicep muscle, that is still very painful when pushed. I wish you good luck in getting a prognosis and a cure or improvement. I have had a herniated disc at L5S1 which was operated on and I do have bladder issues which I think are related to that in the lower spine.
Thanks for your informative reply Kay - it's much appreciated.
I am sorry you are suffering so much too. Your symptoms sound very like mine.
I fully understand how you feel as I am 58 and unfortunately I have had to stop working a while back. I struggled to stay at work for a long time in the hope that my spinal fusion surgery would get me back to almost normal - unfortunately not so!
I did go back to work for a short time (against the advice of HR/OH) resisting them enforcing early ill health retirement on me. Unfortunately I just was unable to fulfil the roles I was employed to do so I had to accept the situation and agree to it. I was however "lucky" to be granted ill health retirement 18 months ago. I should have been working until 67 too but it's funny how things work out sometime though. My health has worsened since my surgery 3 years ago and now also have SI joint problems and this issue with neck/shoulders/arms etc as well as my lower back. I realise now that I couldn't have carried on working.
I really hope you manage to get things sorted out for the best for yourself and thank you for taking the time to post your reply - much appreciated.
We do sound remarkably similar. At least I only work 16 hours a week and because I was pretty desperate to retire at 60 (if I got SRP) at least working from home is the next best thing. My colleagues are great but I’m getting slow and IT keeps being upgraded all the time, I can’t keep up with all the new tech and don’t like feeling out my depth. We’re just about to get a new soft phone system and since my work is phones, emails and live chat I have to be on the ball. More and more I’m not wanting to go back in the office, I’ve had panic attacks before at work and suffer anxiety as well as all my pain. My FM hasn’t been officially diagnosed and I need it to be. If I leave through ill health of my own accord would I get anything to live on from UC and would I get ESA as I definitely could not consider looking at full time work at this stage of my life.
Did you have a work pension? I unfortunately don’t 😢
I have pleural scarring and that causes me shortness of breath but I was turned down for a blue badge, I only learned my chest X-ray was abnormal upon ring my drs as they never let me know the outcome. I have staples (breast cancer in 2004) and think the pleural scarring caused by chemo and radiotherapy. My lust of issues is so long, I’m plagued by thrush, bacterial vaginosis and water infections, had kidney stones, diabetic type 2 and bit of a walking disaster really.
What’s worse now they’ve changed sickness rules at work and as I’m part time I can only have one day off sick in 12 months without being put ‘on watch’ and warnings if I’m off again they might have to reconsider my contract of employment. I’m now wondering whether to give up fighting and let it happen naturally. If I knew I would get some financial help I will do that next time, I’m tired of fighting and being pained
Anyway that was far too long, and I sincerely apologise for moaning.
Hi again Kay, don't feel like you're moaning.....you have certainly been through it haven't you?
You are right though as we do sound similar and at around the same age, I feel that's maybe part of how we are feeling.
Work seems to be making you a little anxious and that I can understand too. The problem is that I have learned (the hard way) that stress and anxiety can worsen pain. After completing a PMP earlier this year, I learned some tools to help address that ie pacing, mindfulness etc and that does help me. It did certainly help physically and mentally but I am sure you will know all about these approaches.
If you continue to struggle workwise, would applying for PIP be an option? That might help boost income if you do have to retire early - just a thought.
Look after yourself and you will know the best way forward for yourself and will know when the time is right.
Thank you for your kind reply and suggestions. Pacing I realised I’d been doing many years but only recently found out it had a name and that it was actually recommended as a pain control method.
I totally agree how bad stress and anxiety is for our wellbeing, it was during a difficult time (issue at work) that I was diagnosed with BC at 43. It was so hard to go back after a year off due to operations and treatment but I did it. Then 2008 came the bombshell that they were putting me into the customer services department, worlds away from the back office job i had in document production, typing all sorts for my colleagues. Now I would have to start taking phone calls and deal with the public in a very demanding role, I was nearly 50 and absolutely petrified.
I gave it a fair crack till the day I had a panic attack, i couldn’t go back for nearly 6 months and that was after counselling. Then they added reception to the role, again another panic attack. Everyone I saw or sought medical help from advised best thing I could do is go back, I did and things improved until physical pain set in with the DDD, sciatica, and neck, shoulder arm issues. I’ve attended pain management over couple years till discharged, sadly rheumatology discharged me too, but I still deal with orthopaedic surgeon.
At night I try and unwind with meditation or sleep talk downs, muscle relaxation/hypnosis on YouTube, that’s a good help.
Hope you’re also able to get some answers/relief with your peculiar symptom. When my mum went for a wee she would cough the whole time, it brought it on and we never did find out why, the body is an amazing thing and not knowing causes for symptoms is so hard to accept. Perhaps you have a trapped nerve of some sort, perhaps you could get a referral to a neurologist. Hope someone assists you in the medical field.
I’m always very cautious to reply to comments like this, you really should see your GP. If you find out something is going on with you come back here and share whatever it is. We can help you better then. Good luck.
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