Ask:
osteophites in cervical
Hi. I write from Spain.
I am very worried.
From some months ago i began to feel pain in the bottom part of my right pinky finger (I think is cubital nerve) when, for example, I am feeding my baby. When I take the spoon, no problems, but after two minutes, I have to stop feeding him because of this pain. Is curious because I take the spoon with thumb and index finger, not pinky. I didn't understand.
Then, I realised that my whole right arm fatigued more than usual (for example doing something like drying hair, it begins to ache).
Then, three months ago, a severe pain in my upper right back started (trapezius, and infraspinatus, i think), and pain in the arm, worse when I make efforts with this arm.
Then i began physiotherapy, and the symptoms got better, but physio told me that I have atrophy in my right biceps, he thinks because I don't use right arm because of the pain.
I have also some fasciculations in right arm.
I started to have fear of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (onset on shoulders)) and went to a Neuro, that tested my way of walking and reflexes and told me that he thinks it is all related to stress. This was three months ago.
I went to the trauma and he ordered me a cervical MRI that shows right foraminal channel narrowing due to osteophytes and uncoarthrosis in C3-C4. Also light bilateral foraminal stenosis in C6-C7 due to osteophytes.
The trauma thinks that those symptoms can't be produced of this and he thinks is stress.
This was 1 month and a half ago.
I started to go to swim and make exercises. At this moment i am scared of ALS, I have pain in the shoulder when I make push (example when i push my baby chair, as if i have glenohumeral instability) in my right shoulder, pain sometimes in my triceps tendon near elbow, and sometimes in my triceps and pains in the back that came and go.
I continue with fear. What do you think?????
Answer:
osteophites in cervical
The MRI findings and your symptoms as you explained them do not exactly match, so it's not clear that the osteophytes are causing your symptoms, however interpreting cervical spine MRI and matching it with the symptoms is not a simple matter and should be done by a specialist, such as a neurosurgeon, who needs to both look at the MRI pictures and perform a physical examination.
You've seen a neurologist and a doctor in the ER, and had an MRI done, and the doctors seem to think that following the symptoms is sufficient for now.
Such symptoms, whether resulting from cervical spondylosis or something else, are usually initially treated with rest and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as ibuprofen), and sometimes a muscle relaxant is added. More often than not, the symptoms will get better with time. Talk to your doctor about this.
My recommendation is to ask your primary care physician for his opinion, and see if he/she can arrange a consultation with the appropriate specialists. If you experience persistent radiating pain to the right arm and hand, see if you can get a second opinion on the MRI and your symptoms, preferably by a neurosurgeon if possible. Physical examination is key to diagnosing these symptoms. It is sometimes difficult to differentiate pain originating in the shoulder and in the cervical spine, and sometimes these two problems are overlapping. If possible, see a shoulder specialist (orthopedic surgeon) about the shoulder pain. If you are afraid of ALS, please talk to your doctor about your concerns, and if possible have a neurologist examine you again to ease your worries.