Neck MRI results

[Catrin]

Waiting to hear about EMG and next neuro consult. Meanwhile I've strained both bicep and deltoid on that side...it gets frustrating. I just want to be active!

[Pax]

Waiting to hear about EMG and next neuro consult. Meanwhile I've strained both bicep and deltoid on that side...it gets frustrating. I just want to be active!

It really does get frustrating, doesn't it. We want to be fit and active, but it seems everything we do aggravates something!

We are getting ready to buy kayaks again since the only part of me that seems to work well is from the waist up... truly hoping I don't strain anything up there.

[OakLeaf]

Catrin ... hang in there. Pax, hope the wind settles down soon - not very conducive to paddling right now! I got my face exfoliated by blowing sand, on the bridge today.

[Pax]

Catrin ... hang in there. Pax, hope the wind settles down soon - not very conducive to paddling right now! I got my face exfoliated by blowing sand, on the bridge today.

I'm surprised you didn't blow away, it's nuts out there!

[Catrin]

My umbrella broke from the wind on the walk to the office this morning.

[Crankin]

We've had the icy rain, now warm rain in the past 24 hours. It's foggy and going up to 55 degrees. We will be getting the wind later tomorrow and Friday.
Catrin, how did you strain the bicep and deltoid?

[Catrin]

Slushy snow tonight, ugh!

The strain is in the bicep, he said the deltoid/rotator cuff is quite tight. I keep tweaking that shoulder and I'm starting to suspect that my shoulder will be the real root of the problem, with something causing intermittent nerve impingement. The EMG came back normal (no definite signs of cervical radiculopathy or entrapment), which is GREAT! This means no permanent damage. All that numbness has to be coming from somewhere, so hopefully it was a good test and he knew what he was doing. I've read, and have been told, that the EMG test is as much an art as a science as it really matters who does the test and interprets the results as well.

I would much prefer a shoulder root to the problem rather than my jacked neck Did I say the neurosurgeon saw NO sign of the "moderate to severe stenosis with nerve root compression" that the person did who originally read my MRI and only saw arthritis and a couple (mild) bulging discs? While I'm thankful, it's hard to see how one person sees "moderate to severe" stenosis and the second person sees none at all I'm going with the more optimistic of the two :-)

[OakLeaf]

Glad the delt and rotators are okay anyway ...

Yep, it's not surprising to me that indistinct two-dimensional images of a lot of complex structures don't necessarily get interpreted the same way. The surgeon probably took more factors into account than the radiologist did, too. Reading imaging is an art as much as the EMG is.

What's mind-boggling to me is how they're still discovering major body structures, like the anterolateral knee ligament, and last week's announcement of the fifth muscle in what we know as the quadriceps. Medical and nursing students have been physically dissecting cadavers for centuries, and surgeons and nurses have been physically cutting into, viewing and manipulating these structures, and yet they only saw what Grey's Anatomy taught them to see.


Stay warm!!

[Catrin]

I think there is something in the shoulder that is referring/making it easy to strain that bicep. I literally did NO work with the kettlebells for 2 days before the strained bicep let me know in no uncertain terms that it wasn't happy. Oh well, hopefully we will figure it out before I reach my out-of-pocket max for the year! I am done ignoring things, that hasn't served me well in recent years.

Good point Oakleaf, they are still learning things - which is pretty amazing to consider this includes new muscles! I can see smaller things, but like you, it's mind-boggling. It's also true the radiologist is going to say anything that MIGHT be wrong and allow the specialist to fine-tune the results. I'm sure radiologists are subject to malpractice litigation as much as any medical professional is.

[Blueberry]

Medical and nursing students have been physically dissecting cadavers for centuries, and surgeons and nurses have been physically cutting into, viewing and manipulating these structures, and yet they only saw what Grey's Anatomy taught them to see.

Medical schools are cutting dissection time. We have 9 to a cadaver now, and we learn much of the structure from pre-dissected cadaver demonstrations. When we do dissect, it's very guided - cut here, find this. Not look for that other thing. Not that structures shouldn't have been found sooner - but dissection is a bit of an inexact science (as is surgery - believe me that surgeons don't go looking for extra things - nor does anyone want them to) and we just don't have the opportunity to explore at all with the curricular changes. It's sort of sad to me. I find dissection hard - physically and emotionally. The cadavers are an amazing gift, and I would love to be able to learn as much as I possibly can from them.

/end off topic discussion

[Catrin]

With the tight deltoid and rotator cuff I'm taking a couple days off to allow the strain to heal. I sure don't need a torn cuff from stubborness.

The drifting conversation is interesting. I can't imagine what it would be like to look inside/handle human internal parts. I can't even stand seeing someone else get an injection!

[ny biker]

I can't stand seeing me get an injection! But I have several nurses and EMTs in my family who somehow manage to handle far worse things.

I've recently been having pain in my left shoulder and arm, from the top front of the shoulder down about halfway to the elbow. It started happening after I started using the suspension training system that I got for Christmas. I had similar pain a few years ago that was caused by something I was doing at the gym, though I can't remember now what was causing it. I've taken a break from the suspension training but noticed that the pain got worse again after doing incline dumbbell presses at the gym.

Then the other day I was using a lacrosse ball to work out some tightness in my upper back (leaning my back against a wall with the lacrosse ball in between and rolling it around). The ball hit a really tight painful spot just inside the left shoulder blade. After that, the pain in my shoulder and arm went away -- pain-free full range of motion. A few days later the pain came back, I used the lacrosse ball again, and the pain went away.

I've had a similar experience with a tight muscles inside my right shoulder blade causing neck pain on my right side.

Which is all a long way of saying -- it can be really hard to tell why something is hurting and how to address it. I tend to get lazy about general stretching and working on tightness with a foam roller and lacrosse (or tennis) ball, but it really can be helpful.

[Catrin]

It certainly can be! Thankfully my Chiro is great at ferreting out muscle strains (and treating them) and addressing tight/knotted/etc muscles/fascia. He hasn't been wrong yet, may that continue! I see him first for anything muscular related and he isn't too proud to tell me when I need a different type of attention. A well qualified and experienced ART practicioner is truly worth his/her weight in gold, for sure.

Neurosurgeon in another week and a half, hopefully he will have a better idea where all my numbness is coming from.

[Pax]

Catrin, just found out if I get the job I'm up for (library position at Palmer College of Chiropractic) I get free full chiro services! So exciting to think they might be able to work with my tightness and gait issues.

[Crankin]

That is awesome!