Marilyn de Queiroz

paul wheaton wrote:Cervical pillow: what is that?

A cervical pillow is a pillow shaped to support the natural curve of your neck (C-shaped) instead of forcing your neck to be straight in line with your shoulders and head (very firm "normal" pillow) or giving no real support to any parts (feather pillow).

paul wheaton wrote:Am I the only one that thinks that guy does not have a cervix and so this name for this seems a bit wonky? I feel like the name says I have a ridiculous cervix. Which seems to suggest something in my groin rather than something in my back.

It does seem weird to use the same term for opposite ends of the body.

cer·vi·cal
ˈsərvik(ə)l/
adjectiveANATOMY
1. of or relating to the narrow necklike passage forming the lower end of the uterus.
"cervical cancer"
2. of or relating to the neck.
"the fifth cervical vertebra"

paul wheaton wrote:I support of the Kickstarter a few years ago for something called right arm. This thing has been awesome. Without it I don't think I could write this message or watch Rick and Morty. It sort of holds my cell phone over my head while I lay on my back.

Cool. I was wondering how you were doing that.

Jocelyn Campbell wrote:
... there is a definite bulge/rupture between C6 and C7. It seems that resolving that bulge sooner rather than later helps the nerves that are being impinged return to normal function more quickly and possibly more completely. Some times there is permanent nerve damage from disc impingement.

The surgeon said Paul's bulge is one of the easiest to resolve surgically. He half-heartedly (?) agreed that physical therapy and other methods, including time, are worth trying to see if the body will resorb the bulge, though he didn't think that was very likely. I would like to think this is a professional bias on the surgeon's part, and that Paul could resolve and resorb (is that the word the doctor kept using?) the bulge with less invasive methods than surgery. Though I do think the doc honestly felt he could rid Paul of pain much more quickly with surgery than other methods. The important thing is that Paul is interested in trying non-surgical methods first.

Resorbing the disk (if it isn't ruptured) would be great! The idea is that it is kinda like trying to get the toothpaste back into the tube after it's been squished out. You have to do the correct movements (or have them done to you) to accomplish that goal. For example, just pulling on both ends of the tube of toothpaste doesn't usually work very well, and just letting the tube of toothpaste sit on the shelf doesn't do a lot either.

Did the surgeon say why he thought that it was unlikely? Is the disk is actually ruptured rather than bulging? That is a huge distinction.

On the plus side, permanent nerve damage doesn't happen instantly in this scenario.

When I worked for the chiropractor, he would refer people to surgeons after he failed to achieve success with more conservative methods, but (the best of both worlds) he wasn't totally anti "traditional" medicine like some are ... and the surgeons weren't totally anti "alternative" medicine either.

Acupuncture (by a Chinese Acupuncturist who studied Chinese medicine in China for 5 years) worked for my neck/arm pain after I had tried chiropractic, massage, cortisone injections, anti-inflammatories, etc., but it didn't work for my husband (who ended up having surgery), so YMMV for any of these more conservative therapies.

Spinal surgery is far less reversible, and frequently leads to more surgery down the road, even if it is successful.

Calming the pain to a tolerable level is the primary thing right now. And there are many suggestions in this thread. I've already made dietary / supplement suggestions as well as other therapeutic suggestions that I've used.

Otherwise, I suggest Ice as the first line of defense. If Paul tries anything that irritates the nerve, ice instantly afterwards.

Chadwick Holmes wrote:I find myself wondering if one of those inverting deals would help relieve pressure, like the kind you strap your ankles in and hang upside down......even if it's temporary relief I bet it would be worth it.....?

I think this would be better for low back pain rather than neck pain.

Mike Wong wrote:As for surgery, I'm afraid the doctor is wrong about surgery being very successful. Spinal surgery of any kind is very risky and has maybe a 50% success rate (I don't have a reference for that but it is roughly true). Anyway, a radiculopathy is a self-limiting problem provided the right management plan is followed.

This kind of problem is usually caused or triggered by poor posture and heavy labour. The head forward posture causes increased compression of the lower cervical vertebral discs, and over a long-term period can cause disc prolapse and/or irritation of the neural tissue. Working on stretching out your front (chest and shoulders back) and strengthening your back and core (yoga or pilates) would be helpful in remedying this. Losing some weight would also help, but I'm sure you'll be on top of that with all the advice you've been given already!
Anyway, hope that helps and I wish you a speedy recovery.
Mike

I agree. I would delay surgery until there was no other alternative. It may (or may not) fix the immediate problem, but usually causes other problems in its wake.

Regarding supplements / diet :

Curcumin is the active ingredient in tumeric root but the quantity of curcumin in turmeric is pretty low. I use powdered (capsules) curcumin, one to two grams (2000 mg) per day. And, as someone previously mentioned, taking it with a pinch of black pepper is helpful.

Also, a quality grade fish oil (non-rancid EPA/DHA 1500 mg) from cold water fish (like trout, salmon, mackerel) is helpful. If you want brand recommendations for quality fish oil, please email me. Dr Mercola recommended some other oils (like Borage Oil) also, but they didn't seem to help my pain much. Some people think that essential oils like marjoram and oregano help, but they didn't do much for me.

And don't forget the vitamin D3, especially since you live so far north where sunshine produces inadequate vitamin D for half the year due to the low angle of the sun.

Regarding stretching / exercising :
http://www.do-it-yourself-joint-pain-relief.com/neck-pain-relief.html

Regarding passive stretching (massage) :
Be careful that you find a good, certified massage therapist who knows how to work with injuries and not just for "relaxation". The muscles are tight to "protect" the spine that they "think" is in danger.

I started with Physical Therapy and "graduated" to an osteopath. She does a "cranial / sacral" therapy that doesn't hurt but helps release the muscles (slowly).

Only after I logged out and logged back in.

Definitely nicer than the generic pic.

It seems to work. You can't have two users with the same user name. And it changes all the previous posts to the new name.

Interesting! Good educated guess, Paul. "Bones And Raw Food" although using cooked and blended vegetables is recommended. Sounds like more work though. Is it worth it? I guess it depends.