Question
Hi,
I have three bulging discs in C3/C4, C4/C5, C5/C6 but all levels apart from C3/C4 level the foraminal spaces seem to be capacious though there looks to be some loss of foraminal fat at C3/C4. These were not present on an mri scan in 2003 and were first seen in 2005/06 after having an 80kg washing machine fell from the top of a stack out of a container lorry on to the top of my head after I had slipped off the back of the container. How probable is it that the washing machine falling on my head could have caused these bulges? I had also been squashed twice by the forklift between it and fridge freezers in the month leading up to the washing machine falling on me.

I have had a previous accident in 1994 whereby I forcibly did the splits whilst lifting a coil of metal a from this accident sustained a laberal tear which took dr's 10 years to diagnose as they kept saying I had sciatica even though there was no signs of it. Could my laberal tear be the cause of my bulging discs in my neck and would it cause any problems in my lower back before it got to my neck or not?

I hope you will be able to give some advise on this matter as I know it is quite a complicated one. Could the double vision, headaches and loud whistling/buzzing that I have also been suffering since 2005 be attributed to the accident with the washing machine?

Thanks for your time in this matter it will be much appreciated

Tony

Answer
Wow.
Okay, for starters, a washing machine could definitely "blow out" your discs.  In fact, given there was no other injury, we like to say "on a more likely than not basis" it could be due to that.

The labral tear:  not related to the disc at all.  THe two are totally independent structures.

The double vision, headaches and buzz/ whistle should be looked at by a cervical spine specialist.  Choose a chiropractor, neurologist, someone (I'm of course partial to chiropractors) as these are not normal, and you have been dealing with them, I assume, since the accident.  Get the problem fixed and get back to enjoying life.  

There are lots of treatments for the c spine discs, but they all amount to traction (pulling your head off of your body, and extension, getting a curve in your neck.  There are lots of aids to doing this, one being a cervical pillow.   I recommend the therapeutica pillow, and s size or two smaller than their recommendations.  I also like the posture pump.  Any traction unit will work.   The more you use these products the more you ameliorate the problem in your discs, as that constitutes a structural issue, and require a structural fix.