Have Cx.. running out of ideas..Your Thoughts?

[From Cow-leaf-or-ny]

I have an ongoing cx who I've seen for 1 yr or so now. A few days before Halloween this cx came to see me saying she was experiencing tremendous arm pain down to fingers- 3 fingers numb, pain radiating from rhombs/teres area down to arm, with each time I have seen her, pain has moved around abit, but always in the arm. Its been about 3 wks now. Saw yesterday and fast forward progress- Down to 2 fingers being numb, really no more pain in arm from what she said.

I've been working on her as if she has throacic outlet syndrome because its what has made sense. Told her to apply moist heat no ice daily, and showed her some stretches to do. Yesterday stated no arm pain but pain did come back when she raises her arm to take her shirt off, or when I hang her arm off the side of the table to work on teres that bothered her. Supine when I raised her arm to do pec work she felt pain radiating down her arm to fingers.

Her doc said if it doesn't resolve in a mth to see her, she did get a MRI last weekend. Gave me a copy of her results last night.

Basically C2-C3 has mild bulging.

C4-C5 Lt Lateral disc protusion causing spinal canal stenosis and neural foraminal stenosis.

Osteophytic spurring at C5-6 causing the above

Central osteopathytic spurring at C6-7 w/assocaited spinal canal narrowing and neural foraminal narrowing.

She said she saw a PT as well, and they did neck traction, moist heat, nothing that I have not done...They also gave her some excersises to do.

Could this have starting from her neck or does she have throacic- sp outlet syndrome and her neck is aggravating the situation? It seems that her ulnar nerve is being compressed- last time I saw her she was experiencing elbow pain, down to forearm and 2 fingers. It resolved after her session....

 

[Jennifer B]

I would say that it would be both, yes. You probably already know what kind of job she does and some of her bad habits, so could she have gotten thoracic outlet from repetitive stress to her shoulder? Those things usually need to time to build up, so maybe it has just been slowly aggravating her neck conditions, too. Does she get frequent migraines/headaches?

 

[superh2ogirl]

Where the pain is is never the problem. look at her overall posture. It usually comes from the hips and legs and feet.

Julie

 

[RudyGal]

Have Cx.. running out of ideas..Your Thoughts?

Basically C2-C3 has mild bulging.

C4-C5 Lt Lateral disc protusion causing spinal canal stenosis and neural foraminal stenosis.

Osteophytic spurring at C5-6 causing the above

Central osteopathytic spurring at C6-7 w/assocaited spinal canal narrowing and neural foraminal narrowing.

...

Could this have starting from her neck or does she have throacic- sp outlet syndrome and her neck is aggravating the situation? It seems that her ulnar nerve is being compressed- last time I saw her she was experiencing elbow pain, down to forearm and 2 fingers. It resolved after her session....

Doesn't matter how the problem started, with her diagnosis, either the bone spurs or the stenosis and narrowing could easily be causing the issue. Your best bet is to work on restoring balance to the postural muscles, especially if she has forward head posture. Hopefully the PT is also doing a good job of addressing neck posture.

If she is progressing, excellent, sounds like you are on the right track.