Neurosurgeon, Neuro symptoms
Katie,
You may find that a surgical procedure to relieve the disc pressure on your spinal cord and cervical nerves may significantly improve your symptoms. A visit with a neurosurgeon is definitely indicated, and soon. The symptoms in your arm may be from chronic regional pain syndrome (old term reflex sympathetic dystrophy) causing vascular compromise resulting in the cold feeling and blue coloration.
You may find your doctor recommending discectomy first rather than ADR or fusion, but I'm just guessing here. You definitely need to see your neurosurgeon promptly before the cord compression results in more permanent damage.
Please let us know what he/she says, as there are several ways to treat your problem. Getting variable opinions doesn't necessarily mean that someone is wrong; it's just that a disc rupture like yours can be treated in several different ways if conservative therapy fails to help.
Good luck.
Tim
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L5-S1 rupture 11/04, left leg pain for 2 wks
Regular exercise/pain-free until 2007
L5-S1 degen. disease w/constant pain since 6/07
PT, ESI, SI jt injections, 3-level nerve root inj. x 2
Massage, heat, ice, TENS, etc
L5-S1 Charite Jan. 19th, 2009, very happy w/decision
New back pain in upper back though.
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