pain & tingling in both shoulders, fingers & thumbs

by Stuart
(Southport UK)

In November 2018 while working in a friend's garden, I fell backwards down a steep slope (circa 15 metres). As a result I had some paralysis in both arms & hands and extreme pain in my shoulders. The GP diagnosed cervical radiculopathy and foraminal stenosis. Since then I have experienced severe nerve pain that can only be controlled with morphine-based medication. Can chiropractic manage this pain?

Stuart (83)

Hello Stuart,
The honest answer, is I'm not sure. Since I'm getting on myself, I treat a lot of people of your age, and some respond well, and others not so well. It's all dependent on the extent of your foraminal stenosis.

What's good is that it hasn't affected your legs, which would mean cord pressure, but both arms is obviously not so good.

The extreme pain in your shoulders could be related to your neck, but is probably also local injury which certainly would be treatable.

So, a guarded yes, but not if you're expecting a one click miracle; that won't happen. Would an initial ten treatment programme with an hoped for fifty percent improvement be satisfactory.

Look for a chiropractor with experience and time on his hands; perhaps someone like myself who is semi-retired and willing to take more time with you.

Take your X-rays and hopefully you have an MRI with you.

Let me know how you get on.

Dr B

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Mar 25, 2019
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by: Stuart (Southport)

Dear Dr.B., Thank you so much for your rapid reply that I have found so encouraging. If I had 50% more recovery I would be more than satisfied! I'm going to start making inquiries to find a semi-retired chiropractic in the Southport area! I do have an MRI, scan and numerous X-rays of the areas affected C2/C3, C3/C4, C4/C5, C5/C6, C6/C7, C7/T1

The doctor's conclusion is as follows: "No acute cervical spine injury is detected. Multilevel advanced disc degeneration and uncovertebral osteophytic lipping with multilevel foraminal stenosis".

Hope this helps with your prognosis? Yours sincerely, Stuart

Hello Stuart,
It will be tough, Stuart, with x-rays like that, but I have so many elderly patients with nasty radiographs who have few symptoms, that my prognosis rests more on the physical findings than the state of the scans.

For example, if you turn your head to the side, and then look up, do you immediately pins and needles down your arm?

If your raise your arm above your head, to the side, behind your back, do you get shoulder pain.

Things like that; let me know how you get on.

A home traction unit sometimes helps; you lie with your neck under axial tension for perhaps 15-20 minutes every day. Ask your chiropractor.

Dr B

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