Bulging disk c5-c6

Long story short, got into a rear-end accident, thought I was fine until a few months later, my neck got stiff and pain was bad.  Was sent to PT, which helped.  about a year later had a son and my neck was in pain again, doctor did a MRI which showed bulging disk c5-c6.  I pulled that report today trying to figure out time lines. 

Fast forward 6 years, here I am with issues.   Sharp pains, nerve pain and muscle pain, now I admit Fibro plays a role but questioning is it possible for the disk to give me more problems now?  Could have I made them worse somehow, I'm questioning this due to the increase nerve issues.

Educate me, please.   I know lot about fibro. this I have no clue about.  My doctor knows I have bulging disk I told her and she has never said this could be the problem.

I'm serious, explain to me the symtpoms, is this possible and which direction should I take. 

Well you certainly have come to the right place many of us have had Cervical Disk Problems, I had a ACDF ( Anterior Cervical Diskectomy and Fusion) at C-6/7 in 1985 and then another ACDF at C-5/6 in 2006. The usual problems with cervical disk at C-5-6-7 is arm pain, and numbness and tingling in the arms and hands. I know when I had the severely herniated disk at C-6/7 the pain I felt was like when you severely hit your crazy bone! You know that intense burning tingling pain the goes down your forearm and into your fingers? and when you hit your crazy bone ( elbow) really hard it just hurts so bad, well I had that pain all the time and it would not let up! and it was in both arms! I was like that for months and months before they found out what was wrong. Now fast forward 25 years to 2009, I again started feeling arm pain not as intense, and more on my left side, it was an achy hot some what burning sensation and it reminded me allot of what I experienced before in 1985. Well sure enough the disk above my fusion was bad and herniated, so I again had to have surgery and as soon as I woke up from the surgery the arm pain was gone! I also had quite a bit of neck pain with my first herniated disk at 6/7 and  sneezing just killed me. Every one experiences pain differently, and allot of it will depend on the severity of the herniation of the disk. I know my first one was so bad that the disk broke apart and I had  free floating fragements in my spinal canal, and my spinal cord was actually bent around the disk like a side ways U.  My doctors did not understand why I was not a quadriplegic it was so bad. Bulging disk are of course not like that, but they can press on the nerve roots coming out of the spinal cord, and depending on the nerve roots  the bulge is pressing on will determine where and the amount of pain and discomfort you will experience. Surgery is usually only done when it is absolutely necessary.  If you google "spinal dermatomes map" and then look at the listing for introduction to spinal cord disorders Merck manual, you will find and excellent  explanation of what problems herniated disk can cause and all the different areas of the body the different nerves coming off the spinal cord affect!

I hope this helps you and I sure do hope that everything works out well for you!

Good Luck to You

White Beard