Question
"Hello,

A little history, Last April I was in a horse riding accident, which left me in CCU for the night. And in the hospital for four days.. I was discharged early cause the DR *A neurosurgeon* who was treating me, I didn't get along with. He accused me of failing a Drug test, and when I tried to explain to him that I had a script for methadone he wouldn't listen to me, and called me a drug addict. I had this script for two yrs, for my back before the accident. At that time, he said he would *limit* my pain meds and wouldn't give me anything stronger then Tylenol3 which actually didn't help much for the pain. When I was discharged, he wouldn't help me at all.. *I ended up with a new Family DR about two months after the accident, Not cause of the accident, but cause I am on SSI for Chronic migraines, back pains, and I am Bi Polar* and my old DR stop taking medicaid so I had to find a new one after the accident* I had 26 staples in my head, and a HUGE bruise on my side.. When the first response treated me, they ended up putting the wrong neck brace on me. Not to mention it was on backwards. I ended up wearing it for close to three hours if not more. I only say this cause it took me months to get past the pain in my neck when I turned it one way or the other. I couldn't even sleep on my left side due to the pain in my hip and neck.

A few months ago I had a MRI and was told I had a bulging disk in my lower back. I have been on pain meds both Darvect and Hydro. I am also on Flexrial.  I have been on both since the accident cause there is not a day I can go without some sort of pain.

Last weekend I ended up in the ER due to pain in my neck and a migraine. * I am being treated for those, I have had those for 8 yrs* Well while in the ER I told the DR that there is tingling in my hands with the pain and he said I need to see a specialist. When I asked if it could be cause of sleeping on it wrong he said yes, but just to be safe I should be checked. At the moment my car is in the shop and I have no way of getting to my normal DR much less a specialist.. and...I can't remember the kind of DR I should see.

All week I have been having some pain in my neck but nothing more then what I am used to.. Although now I am having not only tingling in my hands but in my feet as well.

So my question is this, could it be cause of the bulging disk or is this a whole new problem? I read it could be a slip disk, I had one of those while I was expected my second baby 19 yrs ago. They never did anything for the slip disk as soon as I had the baby it seemed to have fixed it's self. Although I have always had back pains, no one ever seemed to be able to figure out what was causing it. Until a few months ago I never had a MRI so the bulging disk seems to be the problem which explains all my pains in the past.

Although now, I am suffering from tingling in my hands, feet, legs. I cant stand more then a few minutes without my back hurting, and the later in the day it gets, the more my neck hurts.

I am supposed to see my Family DR this week, he is a good DR and I trust him. He has already said surgery on my bulging disk is a 50/50 and I am to young. He has always given me the meds for the pain so I cant complain there. Although I would like to know if I should ask him to do another MRI on my neck *He isn't the DR who ordered the first one, although he is the DR who sent me to PT, got me a tens unit and listens to each problem I have at each visit.*

Not only do I have tingling in my arms, they hurt as well. Up in my muscles above my elbow. The tingling is in my left foot, right arm most of the time. The pain is in my right arm at the moment I have not had any in my left knock on wood. The pain seems to travel down my arm and causes pain although I am used to it.

I am on 7.5/500 hydro every Eight hours, cyclobenzpam 10 mg three times a day. Plus I take Ibuprofen or Tylenol between the Hydro.

So once again, what could cause this new pain? Could it be the bulging disk or could it be something else? What kind of Specialist should I see that the ER DR suggested? And what should I ask my Family DR if I get to him on the 5th?

Thanks for your help, and I wish you a Happy New Yr."

Answer
Hi, Marie.

Migraines, pain down the arms, bulging discs, "slipped" discs, all come from the same cause:  overtight muscles in the neck and down the spine.  The bruise on your side indicates the likelihood that your rib muscles are also very tight, which tightness affects the muscles of the vertebrae where the ribs attach.  The hip pain suggests that you landed on your hip at some point and now those muscles are also very contracted and sore.

For reference, please see one or more of my articles on headaches, whiplash injuries, recovery from injury, back pain, and back pain terms, at somatics.com/page4b.htm.

So, it's not how you sleep; it's reflexive muscular contractions.

Drugs and TENS don't handle the problem; they hide it.  Muscle relaxants are not so effective and have unpleasant side effects.  A collar only relieves the neck muscles of their burden of holding the head up, when they are already too tight, and does not correct the problem.

However, if you were my client, I would expect rapid and steady recovery and off all drugs in a new weeks.  I'll explain.

Injuries trigger protective muscular tensions, a kind of reflexive bracing.  These tensions can be so great as to cause discs to bulge and for vertebrae to trap nerves, creating pain at distant locations from the entrapment.  Tight muscles get sore and restrict movement.

The solution is a kind of movement retraining that quiets the protective reflexive action, ends pain and restores free mobility:  somatic education.  This new procedure is much, much faster and longer-lasting than standard physical therapy or chiropractic manipulation.  For a comparison of clinical methods, see somatics.com/pdf/P_to_P.pdf and somatics.com/page3.htm.

I gather you are in the U.K.  There are a few Hanna somatic educators, there.  The list exists at hannasomatics.com/practitioners.  Lacking a practitioner, you can help yourself with programs available at somatics.com/page7.htm.  I'll advise you, if you wish.

with regard,
Lawrence Gold