Question
Hello, my husband lifts weights and about a week ago after a workout he was having some neck pain and left hand numbness with left leg numbness. He went to the dr and they did a cervical MRI. There are alot of normal reports but this one I myself am questioning. It states "C3/4, C4/5 and to a less extent C5/6 mild posterior disc bulges are seen effacing the anterior CSF space and touching the bentral cord aspect at C4/5 level."
"C6/7 posterior and right posterolateral disc protrusion is seen encroaching upon the corresponding right neurol exit foramen." Normal dimensions of the cervical spinal canal
Normal size and signal intensityi of the cervical spinal cord
Normal cranio-cervical articulation.
Normal marrow signal intensity pattern of the cervical vertebrae
No paraspinal soft tissue lesions.
Ok. it doesn't say how much the bulges are effacing the CSF or encroaching.
What are your suggestions. My husband is out of the country right now and is kinda freaking out a little. I told him to make sure and follow up with the Dr who ordered the MRI.
I told him no more lifting heavy weights until he does his followup, heat, ice, pain medication, possible ESI if offered.
Anything else for you to add. It is hard since he is not here to consult.
I am wondering why they didnt do a Lumbar MRI as well.
I told him depending on the nerve effacing he might need surgery and he freaked out on me. Maybe I should not have mentioned that. But I did. I mentioned to him since the signals and cervical dimenisons are normal than he probably didnt need surgery. Please help. Now he doesnt want to go back to the dr. He does lift heavy weights during his workout.

Answer

Hanna Somatic Educatio Hi, Jennifer,

Disc bulges and nerve impingements (numbness) come from the same cause:  tight and musclebound neck/spinal muscles.

Your husband's workouts have been a little too successful, when it comes to increasing muscle tone.

He can recover from both the disc bulges and the nerve impingements without surgery if he undergoes a process called somatic training or somatic education, which frees musclebound muscles by retraining control at the brain level.  The disc bulges will receded and the pinch will come off of the nerves.

Learn more, here:
http://somatics.com/HSEdescription.htm

Sessions with a practitioner would be fastest and easiest.  Somatic exercises would possibly be more convenient.

Ask and I can make recommendations.

regard,
Lawrence Gold