Hi
So I had a neck X Ray last week as part of ongoing investigations into my dizziness, weird neuro symptoms. It's come back as abnormal, there's disc degeneration and moderate spondylosis present.
I phoned my GP this morning and can't get a phone consult until 21 June would you believe. Good job its not important 😒.
Just wondered if anyone else has experience of neck issues causing symptoms?
yes ..' Neck ' will affect lots of things if it's not aligned correctly or things are getting squashed in there due to degeneration . spinal cord / nerves etc ,.... even if only due to connecting muscles trying to counteract the misalignment therefore muscles being constantly tense and constricting blood supply and nerves going through those muscles. i've never had dizzyness, but if my neck is 'wrong' i'll get headaches and problems with nerve pain going down arms / fingers.. and then tense muscles etc will start to affect mid back and shoulder blade area causing further pains and tension in that area.... it's like if one thing is a bit out of line , the problems with tension it causes will soon lead to problems in other areas... and no amount of physio , or anything else will fix my shoulders /back until my neck is right again.... once my neck is right.. everything else will fix itself .
Hi tattybogle (and sorry Sparklingsunshine for the hijack) but could I ask you if there is anything you specifically do to get your neck "right" again? My FIL has cervical degeneration and it causes him a lot of pain - even shooting/stabbing pains that I had suspected might be B12D but might in fact be due to his neck. (still could be b12, that's another story). He refuses physio - I guess because it doesn't really help. I've put him on magnesium already, and he gets pain patches (which cause constipation, another issue), but I am wondering if there is anything else he can do at home? We were at the GPs today but they say there is nothing they can do except the pain pills/patches. Thanks!!
Sparklingsunshine , I'm sorry that you also have degeneration and other issues. I hope you can find something that works for you. x
hi jade_s mine isn't degeneration , so my fixes might not be appropriate , or helpful ... mine's a mix of bad posture/ habits / using my body wrongly for years to do heavy stuff,/ a previous injury to my sacroiliac joint which means it goes slightly out of place sometimes and sets the rest of my back and neck slightly 'wrong' to compensate., causing some muscles to stay really tense if i don't sort it out. So my fixes are things like learning alexander technique and tai chi and doing them regularly , learning to recognise straight away when i'm not using my body in a relaxed balanced way..... and a few specific exercises that a good sports physio and an observant NHS phsio have taught me over the years, to strengthen a couple of particularly weak muscles and to free everything up to allow my whole spine to get back in line after it's gone wrong .
Also , learning to identify and avoid certain actions that always make it go wrong.. or find a different way to do those things .. eg , i now ONLY clean the bath when i'm sat in it,,,, if i lean over it to clean it , even briefly .. i will end up with a problem .... i never carry shopping home in just one bag in one hand even if it's not much and i can manage the weight easily ,, i always have a little rucksack for anything a bit heavy and two lighter and evenly balanced bags in both hands ,, i never ever carry it home one handed, because the imbalance of weight and how i use my muscles will always start the problem off again.
Thanks for the extensive reply tatty, I really appreciate it! Lots of trial and error, isn't it. As for my FIL, trying to get him to change is like herding cats, but good things to keep in mind. I notice for myself that posture and taking care of how we move is important, so thanks for that!
I agree with everything tattybogle has said. I've had neck and shoulder problems for years, causing all sorts of weird and distressing symptoms. Every test I've had, from x-rays to MRIs, has shown nothing wrong, but a skilled massage, myofascial, or trigger point therapist can sort it out very quickly, for a while at least.
I have a lot of neck issues as well. I get the nerve pain down my arms and through my fingers. Also the shoulder blade pain and electric shocks near the spinal cord. Xray showed bone spurs and mild misalignment. Pt wasn't concerned but focused on my lower back pain. I do get dizzy especially when looking up.
Neck issues can definitely cause all sorts of symptoms, including pins and needles and shoulder/scapula pain.
You posted about having an MRI of your brain, but have you had one of your cervical spine? This could show things that an x-ray won't turn up. IIRC you said you've already had nerve conduction studies and an EMG. Hopefully that all went well. As you wait for your phone consult, the website spine-health dot com is a good resource. Some good comments and advice here, especially from tattybogle. I hope you get some answers and relief.
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