Bulging Disc at C7 with encroachment on nerve following MVA.

I was in an accident and following that I started getting real bad numbness in my fingers when I lifted my arms up. I had this in both hands and it would get so bad I could not ride a bike. The doc said my C spine had straightened out due to spasms in the muscles around the neck. Yet I am in NO PAIN> just numbness and pin and needles feeling in my hands. I have had two epidural shots and noticed great relief for about 2 weeks then I see the symptoms start to slowly reappear. Is this normal? I was in a company vehicle and using a workman's comp Dr. Will the bulging disk in C5 and C7 go away when the neck muscles heal?

Hi Dennis & welcome to the chronic pain forum. Sorry to read what is going on with you since the accident.

I am assuming that you have had an MRI & this is how you found out you have bulging disc. There is a very good chance they were there all along & you had no clue because you had no symptoms until the accident. Many times we have these bulging disc & never know it until there is some type of trauma. It is possible for the disc to heal on their own, even a herniation can heal in time. No one can say how long it can take either.

My son pinched a nerve in his neck from lifting my heavy golden retriever. The arm pain & tingling got so bad he finally went to the dr. He had no neck pain at all. They ended up doing an MRI, he has arthritis in his entire neck, bulging disc & a spur at the same level. The spur was pinching the nerve. He was sent to a neurosurgeon who recommended an injection in the neck. The injection was done by an anesthesiologist who did the injection with guided imaging, he told my son that way they could be certain they were injecting the correct area. He was also put to sleep for the injection. This worked for him, it took a couple of weeks for the meds to kick in. He was lucky enough to only need one injection & he also did PT once the pain started slowing down.

I will caution you, because they use steroids in these injections they usually do them in a series of 3 and then have to wait awhile before they can be repeated. Steroids can work wonders for pain but you have to be careful on how much you can safely have. Talk to the dr about starting some physical therapy.

Keep us posted....