Bad news - taking some time off

[Sweet]

Yes am trying to be positive but this was a gradual thing. It started with pins and needles in both feet and my right hand and now my legs and right arm are numb. I am hoping that it is a back problem as i fell down the stairs (about 15) three years ago and never got it checked out although thinking now i should have Hehe before you ask no i wasn't drunk! I had socks on and was rushing to answer the door downstairs and with wooden stairs there is no hope!

Been to see a chiropractor last week and i have twisted my pelvis and all of my spine and neck so i am really hoping that it is related to this and she can fix it. Have seen her once but she is finding it hard to twist my neck back and get full movement in my spine, i only have 45 degrees and not 90 but am hoping. It does hurt! But i am sure that it is a good thing so am back to see her tomorrow.

Thanks for all your replies, Sweet X x X

[GarethB]

Sweet,

After I smashed my back up in a car accident the only way the back went in the correct allignment was massage. Part of the physio was massage too.

Since then I have had to maintain strong back muscles that prevent the nerves getting pinched in the spine and this has helped to keep the discs in place too where the back was damaged. I am lucky in that only the three vertebrae that sit above the pelvis are wired up.

As well as physio I have found acupunture extremely good at keeping the doctor and the physio away. A top up every 3 to 4 years is enough.

As you describe the pain in slightly more detail, it does sound more like nerve damage and the muscles have tensed up so reducing the movement. Hopefully you just need to get the muscles to relax enough to allow the nerves to go in the right place and then you can build up the muscle tone again to help hold everything where it should.

Most of my upper body load still goes through the spine like most people, but unlike others more of the load goes through the muscles.

Staying still is was never recomended, however uncomfortable you still need to keep the muscles going to some degree other wise they get weaker and the recovery is longer.

I know you know this, but sometimes you need a kick up the ass so to speak to parctice what nursy preaches

[Anne B]

Hi Sweet,

Sorry to hear that you are having a bad time at the moment.

Hope you are feeling better soon and that you manage to enjoy your birthday

Best wishes
Anne

[Susan Mason]

Hello Sweet

Sorry you are not feeling too well at present, hope you start to feel better very soon.

best wishes

Susan

[Sweet]

Just come back from seeing my chiropractor have seen her three times now. She has finally managed to move my neck more but is not too sure that she can fix this problem with the numbness. I am still waiting for the x-ray and blood results but she is thinking that i do need a MRI scan.

I am trying to convince myself that this is a neck problem but with each time i see her i'm starting to think that this isn't but i can't bring myself to think on it being MS Have fallen off the world right now. Have too many things going on, seeing my surgeon tomorrow hopefully to remove the last two stitches and just not in a place to learn about another chronic health problem Sorry

Sweet X x X

[John Smith]

Best of luck with the stitches tomorrow. I hope you get them removed, and you get even better vision as a result.

[GarethB]

Sweet,

I still have pins and needles in my left shoulder and some numbness in the fingers, but a nerve test with elctric shocks shows the nerves to be OK. It is more likely tendon dammage deep in the join pushing on one of the nerves in the joint.

On anti infalamatories and pain killers to hopefully stop the shakes in that hand. Well I would be on the anti inflamatories but for the fact I have just drunk a bottle of wine.

My gut feeling is you have pushed something out of place. A chiropracter never managed to straighten my back after my car accident. The guy doing the accupuncture did,as soon as the preasure was released in the muscles the nerves went back to the right position and then so did my back.

My personal view is that chiropracters are glorified physios. A physio with simple exercises and relaxation are far better than being pushed and pulled. A massarge parlour does the same and far cheaper too.

Just my personal vies based on my experiences.

Good luck with the stitches.

[jayuk]

Now Now Gareth! "A massarge parlour does the same and far cheaper too.".....keep it clean!

But jokes aside...hope things do get better!....How did all this happen?......was it a single thing that kicked it off? or has it been a combination?

[GraemeH]

Sweet,

Brigid is absolutely spot on; there are loads of possible causes for the symptoms you're having, and some sort of spinal damage seems more likely given your unfortunate brush with socks, stairs and gravity!

I myself developed similar pins & needles, numbness and weakness in my arms and legs about 2.5 years ago, and eventually had an MRI scan of my neck and head. It showed a damaged neck vertebra which was pressing on the spinal cord, producing symptoms which were, at first glance, *very* MS-like. An untreated injury like yours (and mine) can slowly get worse, being aggravated by everyday use, producing symptoms which gradually increase in severity, mimicking some MS symptoms.

My neurologist also highlighted some conditions which can flare up if you're under stress, which with the graft and everything, you've certainly been feeling it (btw I've been reading almost daily but rarely posting for over a year now so I know what's happened to you). Again, most crucially, these are NOT MS.

Anyway, after a bit of physio, I was OK again. But it can return if I sleep awkwardly or I find myself headbanging at a concert!!! You'd think I'd know better by now but there you go...

Best of luck
Graeme

[Susan Mason]

Best wishes for 2morrow, Sweet.

Susan.