Question
I have a child who has a mental illness.  She has attacked me many times by pulling hard on my hair and eventually fractured my neck.  The MRI says:

"The C5-C6 level shows mild to moderate degenerative changes including disc space narrowing, disc degeneration, osteophyte formation and facet hypertrophy.  This includes a prominent right central and a prominent left central osteochondral bar causing lateral recess and neural foraminal narrowing with impingement of the exiting C6 nerve roots.  There is also abuttment on the cervical cord.
The C6-C7 level also shows mild to moderate degenrative changes and a left central discophyte impinging the exiting C7 nerve root in the lateral recess and foramen.
C5-C6 and C6-C7 mild to moderate degenerative changes with discophyte formation as described.  This is impinging both exiting C6 nerve roots at the C5-C6 level as well as the left C7 nerve root at the C6-C7 level."

Other than neck pain and numbness in my right hand, I've recently started feeling pain in my upper right arm that is strong but comes and goes all day.  It wakes me often at night.  Is this related to what the MRI states?  Please elaborate on the MRI and chances I have for recovery as this injury is over a year old and worsening.

Answer
Dear Angel,

First of all, the good news is that if you transcribed the MRI report correctly, you do not have a fractured or broken bone in the neck.

The bad news is that you have a lot of degenerative changes (osteoarthritic changes) in the neck. These are causing "Impingement" or touching or pinching of nerves that are leaving the spinal cord in the neck and then traveling down into the arms and shoulders.

So... yes, your neck pain and your arm pain and your numbness in your hand can be caused by what is seen in the MRI.

Your best options are to find a multi-disciplined practice that incorporates pain medicine MD's, Chiropractors, and Physical therapists.  You are likely to best respond to a combination of spinal adjustment therapies (chiropractors), rehabilitation (physical therapists), and possibly epidural injections or cervical disc surgery (as a last resort).  The most important thing is to have localized doctors give you advise on the best approach for helping you to recover. Please remember that nothing is going to make you grow new discs in your neck... so ALL therapy, manipulation, injections, surgeries are only designed to help you to MANAGE your condition, not cure you. Follow their instructions and make sure that REGARDLESS of the methods used to ease your pain, you will have to finish with continued, unending exercises and maintenance care through your chiropractor to help avoid relapse.

Good luck.

Keith Biggs, DC