Epidural steroid injections

[7rider]

Thanks all.
My Dr. seems to think the epidural WILL help address the cause - which is the stenosis of the neural foramen. The epi will/should bring down the inflammation that is causing the nerve that exits the C5-6. It's the inflammed nerve that is causing so much issue "down stream" - i.e., in my arm, including the weakness in the tricep. His big question is how long it will be effective - if it is effective at all, which is it may not be - granted. My hope is that it will be effective long enough to have other rehab options (pt, whatever) be effective over the long term.
I had my acupuncturist start to focus more on my neck vs. my arm. A drastic improvement in one day (by my darned lifestyle is still going to do me in....bike riding and computers are BAD for me!). I'd really prefer that route (yeah - 20 needles a week, rather than one big honkin' one).
As for pillows...we have the shaped tempurpedic ones that seem to help me a bit already.
Yeah, VB, thanks - I've been dealing with this since approximately last September. It's a major drag. I understand many folks have herniated discs and are asymptomatic. I really wish that was the case for me!

[KnottedYet]

What caused the inflamed nerve in the first place? Pressure from the disc? What made the disc herniate?

[7rider]

What caused the inflamed nerve in the first place? Pressure from the disc? What made the disc herniate?

Not really sure. Probably a car crash in May '05. I was rear-ended while looking up into my rearview mirror (saying "Please don't hit me. Please don't hit me."). Neck/shoulder/arm pain started in late July or August '06 (It moved from annoyance to major issue by September) when we started ramping up mileage on the bikes in preparation for a Century. MRI finds "multilevel degenerative disc disease extending from C3 through C7" with minor bulging at the other discs and a full blown herniation at C5-6.

[Tuckervill]

Sorry about your pain.

I had those injections in the L4-5 area 10 or so years ago. They didn't help at all. The only thing that helped was surgery. It is a "procedure" and not just a shot, where they give pain meds, IV, etc. You will need someone to drive you home.

My dad had the exact same sort of accident, and ended up having to have surgery as well. I hope you didn't settle with the insurance already. Dad ended up having to get an attorney to make sure he got compensated for what he'd been through.

Karen

[Dogmama]

I also had the same thing & ended up with surgery. 1.5 years later, no numbness, no pain, everything is good.

Caveat - the MRI's did NOT show that I had a disk implanting itself into my spinal cord. The surgeon earned his money digging that sucker out. He used bone from my hip & made disks, fused the whole thing and I'm good as new.

Regarding chiropractors - I saw one. It felt great for about 6 hours and then the pain & numbness came back with a vengence. I believe that he could have paralyzed me, knowing what I know about the disk & my spinal cord.

Have they done an MRI? I agree with the others about getting to the cause rather than treating the symptoms.

[snapdragen]

Bumping this up. Hey Regina! Did you get the epidural? Did it help?