Case Summary  |  Pinched nerve/syringomyelia

I was working out in the gym in june 2005 performing a lateral pulldown. Upon completing the exercise it came to my attention that both of my arms had gone numb. I stopped the exercise and made an appointment with my doctor. I described what had happened and he stated it could be a pinched nerve and scheduled physical therapy. Upon completing the p.t. i felt somewhat better and the numbness had been reduced. I attempted to return to the gym and lift heavy weights as I had been previously used to. Upon doing shoulder shrugs with my usual weight (60lb. dumbells) I felt something give in my shoulder and dropped the dumbells, experiencing excrutiating pain. I returned to the doctor and he scheduled an MRI of my cervical and thoracic areas. The MRI technician stated that there was a small cyst at the base of the cervical area that was pressing down on nerves and creating the pain and numbness. I was referred to a neurologist, who stated that the cyst was very small, and thus inoperable. She prescribed me pain medication (muscle relaxants, naproxen) which proved in the long run to be ineffective. I returned to her and she recommended physical therapy. I did 3 months of core strengthening and returned to the gym, this time using light weights. The same terrible pain I had experienced before returned and so I went to see another neurologist. She recommended another MRI and so I got two more, thoracic and cervical. This new neurologist read the MRI and stated that what the tech thought was a fluid filled cyst (syringomyelia) was nothing, and even if it was a cyst, it was so small that it couldn't possible be causing me this pain. She gave me more pills and so I continue to live in pain to this day. The pain begins at my neck and extends down my shoulder blades, and the trapezoid muscles in my back are constantly coiled and tight, as if they're resisting something. Since those days I have seen a chiropracter, had massage therapy, 3 corizone injections, and a treatment called prolotherapy, in which the affected area is injected with a solution in order to intentionally cause inflammation so that the body can heal itself. All of these treatments have been largely ineffective and so I have been around the medical block and continue to feel chronic pain. Unfortunately the jury is still out as to whether I actually have Syringomyelia or not, noone has been able to tell me for sure

Treatments provided little to no relief in helping with neck pain. Muscle relaxants helped the most but made too drowsy. Physical therapy exercises are the most beneficial, as they strengthen core muscles, as well as ultrasound, to loosen muscles. Chiropractic was useless.