Pinched nerve in my neck--Ouch!

[Rapid Tourist]

ANyone ever dealt with this...

So... two weeks ago I woke up in the morning with a searing pain in my shoulder which moved into my elbow and hand over the next day or so. Pain was intense, left arm not really usable, and couldn't sleep other than a cat nap for over a week.

Long story short, turns out its is either a collapsed disk in my neck or a pinched nerve in my neck. So I'm on steroids and PT for several weeks. Orthopedist thinks there's a good chance that I will recover after several weeks of Physical Therapy.

I'm totally incapable of riding or any other physical exercise for now. Had to cancel a week-long bike tour in August.

Anyone ever dealt with this or have any experience. I'm hoping to be back on the bike in a few months but really don't know what to expect.

[Bruce K]

I pinched the nerve in my neck as a result of a bicycle crash (disc is also involved). It caused great discomfort down the back side of my left arm and into the outer part of my hand. It also affected the muscle between my thumb and index finger that helps us grip.

PT never got that back completely and the muscle has atrophied some resulting in a weak pinch/grip and some arthritis in the joint at the base of my thumb.

The hand started going numb or getting really uncomfortable on longer rides which has led to a significant reduction in riding.

Occasionally the thumb will pop out and back in really quickly - the pain on that one is unreal.

Surgery was suggested to relieve some of the stress but nobody is cutting into my neck when part of the outcome would be limited motion in my neck.

Get after the PT ASAP and stick with it. I made the mistake of letting up when things felt better.

I sure hope your results are better.

BK

[Mikej]

Have a look at your levator scapula muscles . Spelling on that is bad. But it’s a main neck pain instatgator

[rwsaunders]

Stick with your PT regimen and do your home stretching exercises as well. I had an incident 20 years ago caused by falling asleep while reading a book and having my neck in an odd position. All went well after 4-6 weeks of PT and stretching and I have to say that having my fingers start to go numb scared the hell out of me. Not following your PT can lead to more difficult issues taking place.

[daker13]

Sorry to hear it. You might look into acupuncture as well, as a lot of people find that helpful in this situation, especially if you can do it in conjunction with the PT you're already getting.