More confused after GP's visit!!

marie48

Been to see my GP for a review, she is very good. Last time I saw her colleague and when we discussed the results of my scan, she told me of three options, first physi, second injecton and third surgery but they do not like to do surgery on neck. She also put me on Amitriptyline which I have stopped taking.

This morning I saw the GP who I got on with. She told me I do not have a trapped nerve but two discs in my neck are compressed together and when they touch a nerve, it causes me to get the tingling sensation. She said, the scan has not picked anything serious. I have got arthritis and it is not severe which is good. She listened when I mentioned that the other joints are joining in. I have agreed not to take any medication and see physio first and if it does not work then she will try medication again. In the meantime, she said I could rub brufen gel three times a day.

I am quite confused, are compressed discs, trapped nerve and pinched nerve the same thing? The other GP did say that my cervical spine is stable. I am quite relieved now and will try to get on with life and stop moaning. Hubby was in a huff with me, we went shopping and he took me to a place where I have to climb uphill and when I complained he was upset and said do you want to walk on the busy street? Sometimes I could kill him for being so unsympathetic.

I am a bit more cheerful now and will try to stop moaning. Have a good May Day everybody. The weather is nice for a change. Take care. Marie

vonski

Hi Marie

Can't help with the disc thing but I know skezier will be able too when she comes along.

Maybe your hubby felt a bit put out because he thought he was looking after you and taking you somewhere quiter. Men don't like to admit they got it wrong hence the mood. Just wanted to add that even though they try they can't really understand your pain

Love
Vonski x

woodbon

Hello, It is confusing isn't it. I have compressed nerve caused by a bone spur, which is from OA, touching the nerve in my neck. I think the disk thing is when they move very slightly out of place and touch something they shouldn't. But I'm no medic and I don't know for sure.

They don't want to operate on my neck because its so delicate in that area and so easy to cause more problems. I do know some people have it done, when the problems become too bad to manage.

I hope you get good results from physio, they can work well.

Love Sue

skezier

Hi Marie,

Trapped and pinched nerves are the same I think, though one tends to be by bone and the other is more likely to be by disc's or soft swelling. That sounds like what she is saying you have. Compressed disc I think means they are being squashed but haven't as yet bulged or ruptured...... I can't swear to it as I seem to be mostly brain dead today! :roll:

I hope the physio can help, it might as sometimes the compression is because of out of alignment and it can be pulled back with certain exercises. There are 2 kinds of nerve pain, one is the spinal cord and the other is the peripheral nerves that come out the outside of the back. I asume thats the ones your disc's are touching.

I think Mistywillow can help you more on that as she is an x physio and knows about what you should be doing.

Sorry it looks like we are all passing it to each other eh? :roll: Sometimes the compression is caused by age (ie degeneration), injury, over weight, and lastly bad posture. It can be sorted before they bulge but once they do it would seem they don't do much if there is no need for surgery, that is usually because they are compacting on the cord.

It can sort out and I hope for you it does soon. See what the physio can do for you, I really hope it helps. Take care, Cris

marie48

Thanks for all your replies. Hope the Physio will be able to clarify this for me. I have rubbed brufen gel three times a day on the achy joints since yesterday. Surely, it is absorbed through the skin and I cannot experience side-effects that quick. I swear I had the strange feeling on my stomach last night, one the side-effect of ibrufen if taken by tablets but I am using gel at the moment. I will give it a try for another week as it is not helping with the ache at all. I do not know whether I am the only one with this problem, nothing seems to work with my pains and aches. Weather is nice here in Bucks. Hope you are all coping well.

woodbon

I have to be careful with Gels as well as medication. I didn't realise until a few weeks ago, when another GP in the practice prescribed something with asprin in. My husband, a biochemist, said he had read an article in one of the science/medical journals that showed sometimes the asprin or ibroprophine can get to the digestive system via the skin. Its still an experimental suggestion, but enough to stop me using it as I've been warned never to again as I've had a perforated ulcer. So what you say may make sense, although some of the early data in these articles are wrong in the long run.

I think its how you feel. It you think it's causing a problem, don't use it but if your happy and have no trouble go ahead.

I hope I haven't confused you more :shock: :? Love Sue

mistywillow

woodbon wrote:

I have to be careful with Gels as well as medication. I didn't realise until a few weeks ago, when another GP in the practice prescribed something with asprin in. My husband, a biochemist, said he had read an article in one of the science/medical journals that showed sometimes the asprin or ibroprophine can get to the digestive system via the skin. Its still an experimental suggestion, but enough to stop me using it as I've been warned never to again as I've had a perforated ulcer. So what you say may make sense, although some of the early data in these articles are wrong in the long run.

I think its how you feel. It you think it's causing a problem, don't use it but if your happy and have no trouble go ahead.

I hope I haven't confused you more :shock: :? Love Sue

Hi Marie
It is confusing when different doctors use different terms. Skezier has probably answered all your questions so just to summarise, a young and healthy disc sits between the vertebae to cushion things. It contains a jelly like bit on the inside surrounded by cartilage. (imagine a poached egg!) As we age the discs dry out and are more prone to damage. As a result of drying out they dont cushion as well and the vertebrae get closer together. The disc may also tear and the jelly like substance (think of yolk) oozes out.
Pain occurs because of several reasons. The network of nerves around your body originate from nerves that come out between your vertebrae, so when discs are poking out or xtra bits of bone (as sometimes happens with arthritis) are around they may press on or pinch one of those nerves causing pain and/or tingling.
Pain may also occur because the jelly like disc bit is now touching pain sensitive areas , or other soft tissues like ligaments are being stretched because things are a bit out of alignment.
Physio/chiropracter/osteopath may all help by trying to realign things and take the pressure off painful bits.
Wow ive droned on sorry!!!!!!! Hope its helped, but more to the point hope you get some good pain relief soon
love Gillx 8) :P