Suggest Treatment For Severe Neck Pain When Diagnosed With Bulging Of C5-C6

Posted on Wed, 24 Jun 2015

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Wed, 24 Jun 2015 Answered on

Wed, 15 Jul 2015 Last reviewed on

Question : I have been diagnosed with bulging of C5-C6 and C6-C7 with and shift to the right. I have neck pain always. I have right arm radiculopathy. My right arm is hurting me and my right hand is very swollen especially the first and middle fingers and the knuckles of the hand. I have numbness and pain in both arms and trembling of the hands. I also have the numbness and pain in both legs going down to my feet and recently gait balance problems and urinary urgency. I believe that all of this is related to my neck. Can it be? I saw a neurologist of told me that my right hand problem was carpel tunnel. That doesn't explain anything else. He never even examined the hand or touched me. And I don't know why it would be constantly swollen. My primary thought that my right hand may be RA but the tests were negative. I was rear- ended in a car accident about three weeks ago and my symptoms are much worse since then - at least in my neck and right arm and hand. What type of a specialist should I be going to see and do you have any ideas of what may be going on? I am 47 female. I am a diabetic but pretty well controlled. My las t two A1c were 7.2 and 6.9.

Answered by Dr. Olsi Taka (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Read below.

Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.

Hand swelling is not a typical feature of nerve root or peripheral nerve compression. However there are some cases when carpal tunnel syndrome which can produce swelling due to release of inflammation peptides in the area covered by the injured nerve, it has been reported. So since the distribution is typical for carpal tunnel it can't be excluded, although I don't the fact that the neurologist said that without even touching you is not correct on his part. Rheumatological conditions or vascular ones wouldn't involve that precise area.

As for the rest of your signs I believe they are indeed due to neck involvement as you say. Since you say that recently gait and urinary issues have been added to the mix, that could indicate spinal cord compression not only nerve root. So, if you haven't had imaging recently I believe a re-evaluation with MRI imaging is necessary.

Regarding the specialist, I believe that the right specialist remains the neurologist, if you were not happy with the previous one you can try another, but a neurologist is the most knowledgeable person to evaluate you (unless surgery is discussed when a neurosurgeon comes in naturally).

I hope to have been of help.

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