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question:I have recently been diagnosed with cervical arthritis which has caused a bone spur and pushing into my nerve canal. I m experiencing pain in my neck, left trap and shoulder. I ve been told my case is severe but I m not having any loss of function of anything or numbness yet. I have had discomfort now for almost two years and it is now getting progressively worse. I m scheduled to get Cortozone shots. Is there anything you can suggest I do on my own to help the situation? Inversion table? Thanks!
answer:dear patient.A person with chronic neck pain may benefit from receiving a cortisone injection during the initial stages of their treatment.Cortisone works by reducing inflammation around a joint, nerve, or other structure, which helps with pain and can speed up recovery. It’s commonly used to treat pain in a variety of joints, including the knee, elbow, shoulder, hip, and lower back, and can also be used, in some situations, for neck pain.Cortisone is often injected as a mixture with a local anesthetic. The anesthetic allows for near immediate but temporary pain relief if the injection is successfully placed, while the cortisone allows for more gradual but longer-acting pain relief as it takes effect.Doctors use cortisone to treat neck pain by injecting the steroid directly into the site of the inflammation. If strained muscles are causing your neck pain, the cortisone will work to reduce swelling in those muscles. If neck pain is being caused by the inflammation of a pinched nerve, cortisone will reduce the swelling and relieve the pressure on the nerve.
question:Hello Doctor, After 3 years of working in open space office under air conditioner, which blew air into my leg, I have terrible pain in the muscles and tendons. I was trying every possible over the counter drug and cream. Nothing helped. Naproxen help a little. I do not know what to do next. I would appreciate your help. Thank you. Nadia
answer:Dear patient thanks for the question.it may have something to do with body hydration and humidity which is relative to ambient temperature. Try hydrating with isotonically balanced fluids around a pH of 2.0 (acid -Citrus juice 2 x Lemons, 2 x Limes + 2 x Oranges with equal parts chlorine free water with the addition of magnesium salts (Magnesium carbonate, MgCO3 and or Magnesium sulphate MgSO4) all day and half the night. If this does not help please go to your doctor and discuss the possibility of fibromyalgia
question:I wake in the night, usually about 2-3 hours after going to sleep, with both feet and legs to mid calf feeling like they are on fire. slight red discolorization, minor swelling. This is very painful but after getting up, I can walk it off in about 30 minutes.
answer:Dear patient Here are the possibilities of what you might have.1)PhlebitisPhlebitis means inflammation of the veins, and can cause redness, itching, irritation, pain, and swelling.A simple doppler can rule this out.2Blood clot in the legsBlood clots in the leg can become very dangerous, symptoms include swelling, redness, tenderness in the leg. Coagulation profile with an angiography may be required3)Cellulitis: Initial stage. Only can be clinically ruled outHope this helped
question:Have had mri done.. At l1-2 there is minimal circumferential disc bulge At l2_2 disc bulge with small superimposed central dick herniation and 2mm retrolisthesis of l2 on l3 disc slightly indents ventral the Cal sacred At l3-4 minimal circumferential disc bulge At l4-5 disc desiccation and small marginal osteophyte and 2mm retrolisthesis of l4 on l5. L4-5 central disc herniation with annular tear. Disc impinge the Cal save mild central canal and mild to moderate bilateral lateral recess stones is and borderline bilateral neural faraminal stenosis. At l5-s1 minimal circumferential disc bulge with mild right sided facet artrosis. Have leg weakness and right leg wants to drag..seen workman s comp orthopedist and he feels there nothing wrong with me
answer:Hi there. Usually MRI scans pick up even minor amounts of disc herniations which will be present in almost everybody. It is mainly the disc herniations which impinge on the spinal cord or its nerve roots which can cause a problem. If there is a definite weakness your right leg and radiating pain associated with it that could be an indication for you to undergo surgery. From your report i would be worried about the L4-5 disc levels which is causing moderate stenosis of your lateral recess. Sometimes with stenosis another problem that can occur is a dull cramping pain that can occur on the affected leg. So kindly get your neurology evaluated if your symptoms persists and if you notice a definite decrease in your walking distance, radiating or cramping pain or weakness.Consult a spine surgeon. Also know that if at all you might need any operation, it is going to take care of your leg pain. Your back pain may or may not get relieved.
question:MRI taken in Dec (two months after experiencing severe pain on left knee) shows undisplaced subchondral fracture of weight bearing portion of the lateral femoral condyle with surrounding bone marrow oedema. No visible swelling was there any time. It is 4 months since the pain started. Though general walking doesn t give pain; climbing up and down the steps generates pain. How long will it take to fully recover and heal the fracture? No surgery was performed.
answer:Hi there. Subchondral fracture as such do not always require surgery and they tend to settle over a period of time. What one needs to mainly concerned about here is injury to the cartilage overlying the area where the subchondral fracture has occurred. This can cause pain similar to osteoarthritis. Since you're having pain on climbing stairs its most probably occurring in the patello-femoral region. The fracture would have probably subsided by now. If you are having this pain which is persistent and really limiting your daily activities, you should undergo an arthroscopic examination of the knee joint which can identify these areas of cartilage injury and therapeutic procedures can be performed in the same sittingif required. If the pain is not so bad you can try with conservative measures like losing weight doing physiotherapy like static quadriceps strengthening exercises and knee range of motion exercises.
question:Thank you for your time sir, I have been diagnosed with multilevel moderate to severe degenerative spondylosis. 1mm at C3-4 and 2mm at C7-T1....I have had fusion and rods surgically implanted (obviously). Also have rods and pins at L3-S1..... my neck is getting progressively painful and am really becoming very limited in my daily activities. This pain is waking me up and noticing the loss of strength in my left arm. What are your thoughts? Again, thank you for your time. Michelle
answer:Hi Michelle, Following surgery to the C spine, what you can develop after a period of time is called as adjacent segment disease or degeneration. What is means is that the cervical vertebrae are subjected to increase movements and following fusion surgery this places additional stress on the intervertebral discs above and below the fusion levels, the superior levels being more affected. This can lead to narrowing of the cervical canal and cause nerve root compression if its severe enough. So kindly get Cervical spine x rays done, get a neurological checkup done to see if you're having any sensorimotor deficits and consult a spine surgeon if these levels will require decompression and fusion as well.