Anyone ever deal with this?

No idea the cause, but I’ve been nursing a pinched nerve for about 3 weeks in the cervical area. It’s a weird thing having pain that changes and feels like muscle pain but isn’t or seems like a weird burning pain. Mostly it’s in my shoulder and trap now but it lit me up down to my bicep forearm for a bit.

My primary gave me a cortisone shot and sent me to the ortho 3 weeks later.

The ortho took some xrays and said it’s a nerve issue, likely soft tissue impinging on the nerve, not a bone issue. Basically gave me a script for PT and sent me on to another Dr in a month because he doesn’t do neck and spine.

Anyone do the PT and/or shots and get relief? I know my dad did once and no issues since. I’m not up for surgery as long as I can function.

I know everyone is different and there’s lots of little things that could be the problem area. It just sucks going to an orthopaedic that only wants to treat one or two things and show the door to all others.

massage therapy could be helpful

as could acupuncture

as could NSAIDS + rest

when you start doing back / neck/ spine and the various disk spaces, muscles, nerves, etc things get tricky

solution for you could be different for me

might be a bit of trial and error to see what works

has this ever happened before?

anything precipitate it? a fall? new job / work movements? a day of unusually heavy lifting? change in sleeping routine?

how's your posture?

good that you saw the ortho to rule out anything 'major'

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No issues like this. I work a desk job but suspect working on the washing machine 4 or 5 days before could have triggered something.

I was doing stretch and strengthen excercises for sciatica and they helped. Had to take ibuprophen for a while. Without trying to hurt myself, I did the excercises and then some. Some of those caused pretty good discomfort but I did them. Soon as the weather gets warm again, its back too it as I've been imobile for too long. If you can do the PT, apply yourself. Hope you get better.

I've got a herniated l5/s1 disk. When the disk gets inflamed, I have bad, sometimes debilitating sciatic pain down my left leg. I've found the best temporary solution is ice packs on my lower back to reduce the inflammation that's causing the pressure on the nerve. NSAIDs help some, too, but you can't take those for too long.

Long term, I've lost weight, try to stay reasonably fit, and strengthened my core. I still have occasional issues, but it's nothing like it was when I was 70lbs overweight and sitting at a desk all day every day.

I imagine cervical nerve issues are going to be different than lumbar, but I'd still try the ice packs. It'll help the swelling go down and may reduce pressure on the nerves.

The PT will help a lot, they should also give you stretches to do at home. Do the stretches at home.

I got cortisone shots on Tuesday. I have bilateral pars fractures and a vertebrae is slipping forward pinching nerves. Kind of like a cigar cutter. No help yet. But they said it takes a few days, so I'm still hopeful.

I thought my leg aches and rock hard knots were from running. But they were really reactions to the nerve impingement.

One thing to note, if your primary gave you the cortisone shot, you probably didn't get it where you need it (as tight into the vertebrae/spinal nerves). I had to go to a specialist and they used fluoroscopy to guide the needle right the heck into the nerve. I will say -- THAT got my full attention. haha

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For the first 2 days:
Ice to reduce inflammation.

Avoid hot showers.

Sitting on the bottom in the deep end of a swimming pool (not hot tub or Jacuzzi) just letting my arms and neck float free.

Day 3 on until resolved:
Replace ice packs with hot packs during the day and in bed.

When in the shower set a hand towel across the neck from shoulder to shoulder. Let the hot water soak the towel, this holds the heat in and penetrates deep into the muscle, joints, and spine.

Slow gentle stretching moves from bottom of the pool to being done in the hot tub.


This, and physical therapy helps me.

Agree with y'all. Ice, aleve, and more ice help me tremendously. And when you feel up to it, do the stretches and exercises. Little by little you can get better.

After being through this multiple times, I can tell you my findings. It sucks.

Mild dislocations of my collar bone are the usual culprit for me, and they are "tough to find / notice", says the chief bone-cracker at our local clinic. I'll also have ribs get out of alignment.

Saying you tried a chiropractor: If the assistant bone cracker pulls out the dart-gun thing to "tap bones into place", you say, "No, I want the head guy to yank my bones back into alignment".

Hanging out at the deep end for 10 minutes in cold water, a dip in the whirlpool, then again is helpful to me. Then again, I've also injured my shoulder over-exercising with only swimming ...

Cold-hot-cold-hot-cold is the mantra of some in this rehabilitation practice.

I have a pinched nerve, and if effects me every day. I have loss of feeling on my left wrist, hand and little finger, and I can't hold things in front of me for any length of time. Washing dishes, which I really don't mind doing, is really painful.

I had that procedure done where they put me out to insert something into my back, and the doctor was amazed it didn't do ANYTHING for me. I did physical therapy for a while, and they too were amazed it didn't do anything for me.

I don't take medication due to kidney problems, and I don't want surgery due to being potentially paralyzed. I will just eat the pain. Good luck!