Pinched nerve in neck - cant lift arm

[Cannonball]

Anyone dealt with a pinched nerve in their neck? I woke up 3 weeks ago with my trap muscle tight and sore and unable to lift my left arm above waist level. Been doing chiro/PT since and its getting a little better but I still cant lift my bow and still having trap pain. I can now get my arm up without any weight but if I try with any weight at all my lat and trap contact and my arm falls. There isnt anything wrong with my shoulder structurally (muscles, tendons, ligaments etc.) its just the brachial nerve isnt controlling it right. Sucks since I have an OTC archery deer tag for both December and January but doesnt look like Ill be able to go out.

 

[Maki35]

Besides the Chiro. Have you seen an Orthopedic? Xray's/ MRI's?

You say woke up like this? No prior incidents, falls, etc

A friend had similar symptoms. He waited too long to get the proper diagnosis/ medical attention. He started with a Chiro too (pain persisted) and later went to an Ortho.

 

[Fatcamp]

I would have seen a neurologist 3 weeks ago.

 

[*zap*]

If it is getting better with what your doing for it then give it time and continue doing what is making it improve, avoid things that may set you back....also consider seeing a dr who specializes in that. Good luck....

 

[Thebigbaby]

Rest/time and muscle relaxers helped me.

 

[mtwarden]

If it isn't improving you'll want to get an MRI and see a neurologist.

I thought I tweaked something (this was 10-ish years ago) in my neck, figuring it would go away. Went into the doc, thought it was a tight muscle(s)- they gave me some muscle relaxants. That didn't help.

The pain starting going to into my left trap, left pec and left tricep. It got to the point I couldn't do a single pushup- my left arm had no strength. Finally got a MRI and an a appt to see a neurologist. I had a compressed disc and not surprisingly the one that had nerves going into my upper left side of my body.

He asked me if it was getting better, the same or worse. At this point it was getting slightly better (I was able to start doing pushups against the wall). His advice was to nothing unless it didn't continue to improve or got worse.

It finally came out of it, but it was a bit spooky as sometimes the nerves can be damaged or even die.

Nothing to fool around with for sure.

 

[journeyman713]

Been trough this. It seems to be a cycle that's tough to break. Whatever tweaked it, is probably gone but here's how it goes after...
The tight muscle put pressure on the nerve - the nerve causes pain and makes the muscle tight - repeat.

What has worked well for me in this case, is dry needling! Simply put, it breaks the cycle by relaxing the muscle.

To find a good dry needler, and they are not all equal, look for good reviews, and a bunch of letters after their name. Each group of letters, represents certifications, that allow them to work in different areas. For your trap area, a needler that is not allowed to go near your neck, head, lungs, or spine just won't work as well.

 

[Curhunter]

I have a shoulder issue that constantly screws my neck up. A cheap tens unit has helped with pain and getting the muscles to relax.

 

[VuduDoc]

Chiro here, if you know there isn't any injury/trauma to the shoulder itself (think rotator cuff tears, torn labrum, etc.) then general inflammatory recommendations apply, your chiro should be adjusting you pretty aggressively still within 1 month of onset, and PT should be doing more soft tissue work than exercise at this point if you still have no strength due to pain. Massage, dry needling, etc. Primary care provider may prescribe muscle relaxers and oral steroids at this point as well.

If it is a bulged or herniated disc causing some localized swelling and pressure on any nerve roots or the brachial plexus then I suggest looking into a chiro that can do decompression/spinal traction and a chiro or PT who is certified in MDT (McKenzie Diagnosis and Therapy). Research suggests for this diagnosis that it would last 3-4 months and go away by itself or 2-6 weeks with treatment.

Good news about this condition is half the people I see every day have this and they get better. You'll get through it! Keep your head up and follow the recommendations of your providers. If you continue to make steady progress don't stress it, just trust the process. If you stall on progress then go into an ortho for an MR and alternate opinion. Common treatment alternatives are corticosteroid injections (decrease swelling and pain), nerve radio-ablasion (singe the sensory part of the nerve), or some sort of surgery such as a laproscopic microdiscectomy.

Making some assumptions based on your subjective description and my clinical experience but look at the attached file and give this stretch a try.

Hope this helps.

 

[Yoder]

Get an MRI. See exactly what you are dealing with and how bad it is. I've had good results with Chiro, PT and steroid injections.

 

[Cannonball]

Thanks all, Ive been continuing chiro/PT. Slowly getting better. I have most of my range of motion back in the left arm but its still very weak. Im able to hold a bow up but not draw it. Ive got a neuro appointment on 1/23 (earliest I can get in)

 

[Broomd]

In Oct. '22 I started experiencing a neck/C7 issue that radiated nerve pain down my right arm--continued for over a year while i jumped through the insurance hoops for family doc referral, PT, MRI, neck/spine doc, etc and backlog of patients that is now the reality with healthcare in America.

Have had great success with a steroid shot. I was doubtful, but so glad I had it done. Life is much better! I can actually sleep on both shoulders now, that was impossible before.

Edit>>>Respect your body and don't push it for your hunts. I've done that and regretted it--crawling home from my treestand with a trashed lower back, etc.-nothing is worth long term pain and issues.

 

[Cannonball]

Went to a neuro and will be having a nerve test but he thought it was more ortho related so I went to an ortho who said it was neuro related.

Had an MRI done and the results are below. A lot of words I don't understand but there are bone spurs that are pressing on the nerve. They think I will need cervical fusions but it seems extreme to me:

1. Multilevel spondylosis is noted superimposed upon developmental spinal canal narrowing. There is moderate spinal stenosis between C3-C4 and C5-C6. No spinal cord compression or spinal cord signal abnormality is identified.

2. 2.7 mm left foraminal disc protrusion at C4-C5 produces severe left foraminal stenosis and presumed compression of the left C5 nerve root.

3. Additional severe foraminal stenosis on the right at C3-C4 and on the left at C5-C6. Moderate to severe foraminal stenosis bilaterally at C6-C7.

4. Minimal retrolisthesis at C3-C4 and C4-C5.

 

[taskswap]

If I can just add my voice in the MRI camp. Don't mess around with this stuff. About a week ago I woke up with something similar, no pain in my case but my left hand isn't working right and doesn't keep pace with my right. I've lost a lot of left-arm strength in a way where it feels not like I AM weak but like only half the muscles are actually moving the way I want them to.

I saw my GP and we ruled out the obvious causes, then he scheduled me for a ton of blood work and an MRI. My MRI is tonight and I'm all kinds of nervous but it's worth it. There are some risks like mini-strokes that can manifest like pinched nerves and all kinds of other stuff. Don't wait weeks hoping it will heal and only take action if it doesn't. Rule out the high risk stuff first.

 

[G7777777]

Don’t assume anything. See another doctor. Get whatever tests you need

 

[taskswap]

My MRI turned up evidence of a mini-stroke and I'm off to the neurologist tomorrow. Go get it checked out.

 

[west-south]

Went to a neuro and will be having a nerve test but he thought it was more ortho related so I went to an ortho who said it was neuro related.

Had an MRI done and the results are below. A lot of words I don't understand but there are bone spurs that are pressing on the nerve. They think I will need cervical fusions but it seems extreme to me:

1. Multilevel spondylosis is noted superimposed upon developmental spinal canal narrowing. There is moderate spinal stenosis between C3-C4 and C5-C6. No spinal cord compression or spinal cord signal abnormality is identified.

2. 2.7 mm left foraminal disc protrusion at C4-C5 produces severe left foraminal stenosis and presumed compression of the left C5 nerve root.

3. Additional severe foraminal stenosis on the right at C3-C4 and on the left at C5-C6. Moderate to severe foraminal stenosis bilaterally at C6-C7.

4. Minimal retrolisthesis at C3-C4 and C4-C5.

I'm sure you've researched by now, but I see this stuff a fair amount so I can help interpret. Nerve compression at C5 and moderate spinal stenosis at C3-4 and C5-6 are fairly significant findings, as is the severe foraminal stenosis. Surprised you only started having symptoms recently.

It is possible you will need a fusion surgery, but there's a hell of a lot you can try before going that route. I have disc herniations in my neck and have had good results with epidural steroid injections and stretching (it's obnoxious, but the stretches do help). From there you can step up to medial branch blocks or ablation procedures. Depending on what insurance will cover, I would look at all of that before you go fusion.

 

[Cannonball]

I'm sure you've researched by now, but I see this stuff a fair amount so I can help interpret. Nerve compression at C5 and moderate spinal stenosis at C3-4 and C5-6 are fairly significant findings, as is the severe foraminal stenosis. Surprised you only started having symptoms recently.

It is possible you will need a fusion surgery, but there's a hell of a lot you can try before going that route. I have disc herniations in my neck and have had good results with epidural steroid injections and stretching (it's obnoxious, but the stretches do help). From there you can step up to medial branch blocks or ablation procedures. Depending on what insurance will cover, I would look at all of that before you go fusion.

Im in my first week of PT at the Ortho and already seeing some good increases in mobility and strength. Hopefully that continues. Ive also got appointments at Mayo Spine and Barrow Neurological for second opinions. I really dont want to go under the knife if I can avoid it.

 

[west-south]

Im in my first week of PT at the Ortho and already seeing some good increases in mobility and strength. Hopefully that continues. Ive also got appointments at Mayo Spine and Barrow Neurological for second opinions. I really dont want to go under the knife if I can avoid it.

Good to hear. It's never going to be "normal," my left arm/shoulder certainly isn't. But it ebbs and flows and it's manageable. Just have to be smart; I don't do much overhead lifting at the gym anymore. Fusion surgeries are very hit and miss in my experience so I would agree on trying to avoid it.

 

[Matt G.]

I had similar issues due to herniated disks c4/c5 and c6/c7. I lost a lot of strength in my left side, cervical radiculopathy. PT to help balance muscles and cortisone shot into the exact areas worked. That was 6 plus years ago and minimal issues since. Mine was caused being stupid with weight lifting and letting ego get in the way.

Anyways be patient and listen to the doc and hopefully back up and running soon. I also had two colleagues with similar injuries, not sure if age sports or cause from other things, but PT didn't work and had surgery to fuse disk, and recovered well. Just to say there is hope and a few options. Good luck.

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