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Can Vitamin D Deficiency Cause Neck Weakness? Burning Sensation And Difficulty In Holding The Head Up. Anxiety?

Posted on Wed, 3 Oct 2012

Question: can vitamin d deficiency cause neck extensor weakness? difficulty holding head up? Im asking for my mother. She is having trouble holding her neck up when standing, not much pain, just motor weakness. this has been going on for 1 month. I know she has a history of low vitamin d. she has burning sensations at night.. maybe anxiety?? md said it was her back but this is very strange. Thank you

Answered by Dr. Jasvinder Singh (1 hour later)

Hello,
Thanks for posting your query

I can understand your concern but vitamin D deficiency is unlikely to cause difficulty in holding the head up. For motor weakness of the neck, it is important to rule out any nerve compression and cervical myelopathy ruled out. Symptoms of cervical myelopathy include Pain in the neck, subscapular area, or shoulder or numbness or altered sensations in the upper extremities.

My suggestion is to get a MRI of the neck and upper spine done. You should get your mother examined from a neurologist. Post-myelography computed tomography (myelo-CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be used to obtained high-resolution images of the cervical spinal canal and the spinal cord.

Hope this answers your query. If you have additional questions or follow up queries then please do not hesitate in writing to us. I will be happy to answer your queries.

Wishing you good health.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Jasvinder Singh (12 hours later)

she had an mri which showed significant disk space narrowing c5 with osteophyte encroachment into spinal cord, mild disk protrusion and bulging. But she has no numbness or tingling and really no pain. It started off as a really bad burning in her neck following a respiratory virus then she was left with the significant neck extensor weakness. The emg showed possibly a pinched nerve, but i thought you would have numbness and tingling with pinched nerve, as i had once. She does have an appt with a neurosurgeon but i wanted to make sure it wasn't neuromuscular or a vitamin deficiency. Thank you so much. XXXXXXX

Answered by Dr. Jasvinder Singh (26 hours later)

Hi XXXXXXX
The compression of nerves can lead to extensor neck weakness and other symptoms as well.
Let me know if I can address any more concerns.
Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Jasvinder Singh (7 hours later)

Dr XXXXXXX thank you so much!

Answered by Dr. Jasvinder Singh (6 hours later)

Hello,

Thanks for the kind words.

In addition to myopathies, extensor neck weakness can be caused by XXXXXXX Gehrig's disease, Parkinson's disease, myasthenia gravis, polymyositis, and genetic myopathies.

Other than MRI, your mother can get a muscle biopsy also done.

Hope this answers your query. If you have additional questions or follow up queries then please do not hesitate in writing to us. I will be happy to answer your queries.

Wishing you good health.

Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar