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Numbness On Right Side Of The Body. X-ray Show Edema In Disk. Which Doctor To Consult?
I'm 69 years old, male, and had whole right arm numbness for a month, especially in right hand and fingers. The X-ray and neck MRI show disk disease, edema in disk and endplates at C4-5-6 with Schmorl's node formation, degeneration findings,mild canal stenosis; C5-6 mild canal stenosis with left foraminal encroachment; early degeneration at C3-4, C6-7without canal or forminal encroachment; mild to moderate left maxillary sinus chronic lobular thickening.
Carotid Doppler showed mild atherosclerotic disease. No hemodynamically significant lesions are identified.
I visited primary dr.and consider my right arm numbness may caused by neck and referred to Orthopedic. But Orthopedic said my numbness is not related to my neck and let me go to Neurology. I'm confused about my symtomes. Please instruct me how to do the next diagnostic step.
Thanks so much.
James Chen
Carotid Doppler showed mild atherosclerotic disease. No hemodynamically significant lesions are identified.
I visited primary dr.and consider my right arm numbness may caused by neck and referred to Orthopedic. But Orthopedic said my numbness is not related to my neck and let me go to Neurology. I'm confused about my symtomes. Please instruct me how to do the next diagnostic step.
Thanks so much.
James Chen
Fri, 2 Aug 2013
Hello,
Welcome to Healthcaremagic.
You need multidisciplinary approach for treatment.
It includes team of Your family physician, orthopedician, neurologist, Neuro Spine surgeon, Physiotherapist.
Numbness on right side of body is purely due to stenosis, foraminal encroachment, edema of disk.
You also have mild atherosclerotic disease.
Next you have to plan for surgery.
Consult with all your specialists and do surgery for canal stnosis and disc degeneration.
Hope this helps.
Take care.
Regards,
Dr.Manjeth kumar.G
Welcome to Healthcaremagic.
You need multidisciplinary approach for treatment.
It includes team of Your family physician, orthopedician, neurologist, Neuro Spine surgeon, Physiotherapist.
Numbness on right side of body is purely due to stenosis, foraminal encroachment, edema of disk.
You also have mild atherosclerotic disease.
Next you have to plan for surgery.
Consult with all your specialists and do surgery for canal stnosis and disc degeneration.
Hope this helps.
Take care.
Regards,
Dr.Manjeth kumar.G
I find this answer helpful
Hi James, thanks for writing to HCM.
Your symptoms and the MRI findings in the description suggests DEGENERATIVE changes in your cervical spine.
Presence of tingling & numbness (radicular pain) in this setting indicates a nerve root irritation by the compressing discs.
An EPIDURAL STEROID injection will cause regression of the nerve root oedema and thereby lessens your numbness. So give a try.
The other general guidelines for cervical disc management are as follows -
* Rest: A soft cervical collar is advisable. It should not be used for more than a week or two as it may worsen the condition with prolonged usage. Neurotropic vitamins like METHYLCOBALAMINE (activated Vit B12) or PREGABALIN will help in alleviating the neuropathic pain.
* Medicines: Analgesic are needed in the acute phase. Muscle relaxants are essential for relieving muscle spasms once the acute pain subsides.
* Cervical traction: may enlarge the disc space, permitting the prolapse to subside. Intermittent cervical traction for not more than 30 minutes at a time. Weight upto 8kg can be added.
* Physiotherapy: Once the acute phase of pain has subsided, Isometric strengthening exercises of the paravertebral muscles are started. Moist heat can be useful
If all the above measures fail to provide pain relief, then surgical decompression may be indicated.
Hope this information is helpful . Good day
Your symptoms and the MRI findings in the description suggests DEGENERATIVE changes in your cervical spine.
Presence of tingling & numbness (radicular pain) in this setting indicates a nerve root irritation by the compressing discs.
An EPIDURAL STEROID injection will cause regression of the nerve root oedema and thereby lessens your numbness. So give a try.
The other general guidelines for cervical disc management are as follows -
* Rest: A soft cervical collar is advisable. It should not be used for more than a week or two as it may worsen the condition with prolonged usage. Neurotropic vitamins like METHYLCOBALAMINE (activated Vit B12) or PREGABALIN will help in alleviating the neuropathic pain.
* Medicines: Analgesic are needed in the acute phase. Muscle relaxants are essential for relieving muscle spasms once the acute pain subsides.
* Cervical traction: may enlarge the disc space, permitting the prolapse to subside. Intermittent cervical traction for not more than 30 minutes at a time. Weight upto 8kg can be added.
* Physiotherapy: Once the acute phase of pain has subsided, Isometric strengthening exercises of the paravertebral muscles are started. Moist heat can be useful
If all the above measures fail to provide pain relief, then surgical decompression may be indicated.
Hope this information is helpful . Good day
I find this answer helpful
Hello,
Thanks for writing to us.
You might be suffering from degenerative disc disease & it occurs due to repetitive overload or stress to the disc & it increases the risk of disc herniation & spinal canal stenosis. Numbness on right side of your body is due to compression of nerve roots due to spinal stenosis.
For this condition you have to do stretching & strengthening exercises in which you have to stretch tight muscle & strengthen weakened ones which will alleviate stress on facet joint and disc.
I suggest you to consult a spine surgeon for proper evaluation.
Hope this helps you.
Wishing you good health...
Regards.
Thanks for writing to us.
You might be suffering from degenerative disc disease & it occurs due to repetitive overload or stress to the disc & it increases the risk of disc herniation & spinal canal stenosis. Numbness on right side of your body is due to compression of nerve roots due to spinal stenosis.
For this condition you have to do stretching & strengthening exercises in which you have to stretch tight muscle & strengthen weakened ones which will alleviate stress on facet joint and disc.
I suggest you to consult a spine surgeon for proper evaluation.
Hope this helps you.
Wishing you good health...
Regards.
I find this answer helpful
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