Hi I am new to this forum mainly because I am new to chronic back pain but I am scared and in need of some advice if possible
I am 28 years old who needs to sit at a computer 10 hours a day for work and have recently had an MRI on my upper cervical spine which revealed c4/5 posterior annular tear. c5/6 disc protrusion and some prominence of the central canal. The central canal of the spinal cord at c1 and c/2, at t1/2 the canal measuring up to 1.5mm in size. this is unlikely to be of significance the mri report says. c5/6 the disc is narrowed, there is a posterior central disc protrusion with a slightly greater left paramedian component with no focal cord or verve root compression. c6/7 discs are normal
I also found out they have had no tests on my lower back which I was also experiencing pain. The specialist did not believe there was anything wrong with me at first. I am now not working and quality of life is really bad.
I have had 3 car accidents in my life, a guy grabbed and squeezed my neck at work (which gave me stiff neck) this neck pain and stiffness has reoccurred in the last 3 years all the time but getting much worse. I have also had a big fall on my back which I did not feel anything but a slight pain in my shoulder blade area. I have had a lot of accidents in my life and bad posture. I FINALLY had a mri last month to find problems that I have not been told much about my condition except it is chronic. I love working as it is my passion but cannot sit at a desk.
After my MRI the specialist told me to see a physio andi may not need surgery. In the last few weeks I have seen him 3 times a week. He has been performing some sliding and pushing on the joints on my upper neck(ultra sound etc.) and also showing me exercise to strengthen my upper neck. In the first couple of physio treatments I have noticed a significant increase of pain in my spine and lower back. I now get tingles and cant even sit down for longer than 5 minutes (before i could sit for a long time) which is destroying me now. I have seen the physio and he said it is a little more complicated than first thought and has started working on my lower back now. I am just hoping he is not making my back worse and what are your thoughts? as I have more pain now in my spine and sometimes feel like I have been cut open which was not the case before. I just had stiffness and soreness. My back also seemed week before hand. So maybe this is a part of getting better but I cannot do anything now. before the physio I could at least sit down or is it possible it was going to get worse anyway although I have lived like this for years. I could even do weights 1 month ago before the mri with no real pain but now I cannot even lift a peanut without being scared. Is this all a part of getting better through a recommended Physio Therapist?
thanks in advance Magrego