Dealing with neck and upper back pain, arm numbness, and carpal tunnel... any advice?

Hey everyone,

I’ve been going through the ringer lately with physical therapy—doing electrical stim, lasers, exercises for my hand, and ultrasound for my neck. Yesterday, this sharp pain flared up right below my shoulder blade, maybe 5 or 10 cm down. I can't really describe it better, but I'm pretty sure it's hitting that area near my C-spine. To make matters worse, my neck keeps locking up on me.

The problem is, my follow-up appointment isn't for another 20 days, so I can't exactly call the doctor right now, and my MRI isn't scheduled until October. What am I supposed to do? What could this be? Honestly, I'm starting to freak out a little. I've never dealt with pain quite like this before.

Thanks,

stormytinker40 said:Hey there,

I've been going through physical therapy for my hand—doing electrical stimulation, lasers, and exercises—and also dealing with some cervical spine issues using ultrasound. Yesterday, this sharp pain shot up near my spine, maybe about five inches below my shoulder blade, if that makes sense. I'm pretty sure it’s hitting that C-vertebrae area. At times, my neck actually feels like it's locking up.

My follow-up appointment isn't for another three weeks, so I can't get back to my doctor immediately, and my MRI isn't scheduled until October. What should I do? What could this be? Honestly, I'm freaked out. I've never dealt with pain quite like this before.

Thanks,

It could be myalgia. There are cases where nerve compression gets intense enough to basically shut down an entire limb. In those situations, you're usually looking at massage, TENS units, and ultrasound as the primary ways to manage it.

I'm totally lost here. 😢 I've tried hitting the local pool a few times, but this just isn't working. I even bought a brand new air mattress, and still nothing.

Check out the scan:



View on imgur

It feels like something is tightening up inside, almost like a constant burn. Since I've been a smoker for ten years now, could this actually be my lungs acting up?

Hey everyone, I’m looking for some advice here—has anyone dealt with anything similar, or does anyone have an idea of what might be going on with me and how I can actually find some relief? :/
I’m dealing with these dizzy spells almost every single day now, just this constant sense of instability whether I’m walking around or even just sitting down, plus there’s this uncomfortable pressure at the base of my skull and headaches that always seem to trigger from that back part of my head. My neck feels completely locked up, and when I went in for an MRI, they found some early signs of degenerative changes. I actually started doing Pilates to try and work through it, but honestly, I’m not seeing much of an improvement at all. I’ve also been getting massages which help a little bit, I guess, but overall I just feel pretty terrible. To top it all off, my hands have started shaking slightly lately, which is something I’ve never had issues with before. Could this all be stemming from my cervical spine, and does anyone know how to manage this or if anyone else is going through the exact same thing? Thanks. I’m 27, and according to my neurologists, everything looks fine except for a tiny cyst on my pineal gland, which apparently shouldn't cause any symptoms since it's so small. I don't have any underlying medical conditions and I'm not on any medications. My thyroid levels are totally normal too. Thanks in advance!

Olivia Jones38 said:Hi everyone, I am looking for some advice. Has anyone dealt with similar symptoms, or does anyone have an idea of what might be causing this? :/
I am experiencing dizziness almost every single day, along with a sense of instability whether I am walking or just sitting down. I also deal with discomfort and pressure at the base of my skull, coupled with headaches that typically originate from that posterior area. My neck feels incredibly stiff, and an MRI scan revealed early degenerative changes. I have started doing Pilates, but I haven't noticed any significant improvement yet. I also go for massages which provide slight relief, but overall, I feel quite unwell. Most recently, I have noticed my hands trembling slightly, which is a new issue for me. Could this be related to my cervical spine? Does anyone know how to manage this, or has anyone experienced anything similar? Thank you. I am 27 years old; my neurological tests came back clear, except for a cyst on my pineal gland, though doctors say such a small cyst shouldn't cause these symptoms. I don't have any underlying diseases and I am not on any medication. My thyroid levels are normal. Thanks in advance!

It is most likely your cervical spine. I would recommend physical therapy, working with a physiotherapist on specific exercises, acupuncture, or swimming specifically focusing on back movements.

Grace Davis77 said:It’s probably your cervical spine, so you should look into physical therapy, working with a PT on specific exercises, acupuncture, or maybe some lap swimming.

Thanks for the input. I actually went to see a specialist, but instead of getting any actual physical therapy, she just sent me off to get my thyroid levels checked. My hormone panel came back fine, and I’m waiting on my Vitamin D results next week. Honestly, it didn't make much sense to me at the time, but she insisted that hormonal imbalances can manifest as pain in the neck and upper back... though clearly, that isn't the issue here. It felt like she didn't even bother looking at my MRI results. We'll see what she has to say once I go back with these new labs in hand. In the meantime, I’m really hoping I can get out to the local pool and do some swimming over the summer.