Nerve impingement, help please

[darb1]

I visited my doctor about 10 days ago and he diagnosed my with a nerve impingement in my right shoulder. I have been unable to get contraction in the right tricep, pec and lat, and have a significant loss of strength. My doctor told me to take 10 to 14 days off, which I have (going to take off about 18 days) but it has been 10 and I still can't completely flex my right pec or lat.

How long does it take for this to heal, is there anything else I could be doing to help recovery?

Any help would be appreciated.

[Curt James]

Hopefully, someone with experience in this will reply, but my first thought would be to consult with a chiropractor and an acupuncturist. The throw everything AND the kitchen sink at the problem method of problem solving.

Wishing you a successful outcome, of course.

[triceptor]

I visited my doctor about 10 days ago and he diagnosed my with a nerve impingement in my right shoulder. I have been unable to get contraction in the right tricep, pec and lat, and have a significant loss of strength. My doctor told me to take 10 to 14 days off, which I have (going to take off about 18 days) but it has been 10 and I still can't completely flex my right pec or lat.

How long does it take for this to heal, is there anything else I could be doing to help recovery?

Any help would be appreciated.

if it is truly primarily the nerve then L-Arginine may speed recovery. NO will increase fibroblast growth factors as well as vascular endothelial growth factors and aid in re collateralization of the damaged nerves.

[mdn636]

I had the same problem except it was my left side. You should have a MRI immediately because the longer the nerve is shut down the less of a chance you have to get it back. I am going on 3 months post surgery of the C6-C7 disc fusion. I still have no strength in my left side, the muscles still won't contract. Don't wait, go now. Let me know if you have any questions for me and please let me know what happens. I have been searching for someone who has gone through what I have been dealing with to find out if they ever regained their strength or not.

[darb1]

Thanks mdn636, I have taken 2 weeks off from the gym and plan on trying to lift again Monday. My doctor suggested I take 10 to 14 days off and it has been that long and I still can't fully contract my right chest or lat. My doctor suggested using Aleve to help, but I think I would have seen some improvement by now.

Any other information you can provide would be helpful, how long after it occured did you get surgery, how long did you wait. This is a potentially serious problem and any one who had a similar experience can help with their information.

[mdn636]

get a mri. i took 3 months and 2 different chiropractors before i had a mri and i had surgery may 4 . i have been training again now for 3 weeks and i have no pain where the nerve was pinched but muscles still won't contract .my nuerosurgeon said the longer the nerve is shut off that chances of it coming back are less likely .

[darb1]

I don't have any pain in my neck or back or arms. They all move freely and I can use them, but I still can't fully contract my pec or lat, was this similar to your situation?

I think I will try to workout Monday, but if it is not improved I will request that my general practitioner refer me to a chiropractor, I don't want to wait on this it sounds pretty scary.

[Bryan Hildebrand]

why would your pec have trouble contracting if the issue is your shoulder? 1+1 still = 2, but not with this diagnosis. sounds like a right brachial plexus compression at c6- c7. trust me.... you need a cspine mri to confirm. also ask for a prelim EMG study to better understand the pathology of disruption.

[darb1]

Attila, I have been doing some research and I think you are correct. To correct what I originally posted, my doctor said I had a nerve impingement, but not in my shoulder. He didn't explain exactly what it was but suspected it was in the c6-c7 area.

To update everyone on the status of my recovery, my condition has not noticeably improved. I am able to flex my right pec and tricep and lat, but unable to completely contract them, or contract them at the same level as the left side. There is noticeable atrophy in the right pec and right tricep. It has been 18 days since I stopped training upper body and my doctor recommended taking 10 to 14 days off.

I am going to try to train tomorrow and if I can't get any bloodflow to my right upper body, I will call the doctor and ask him to refer me to a chiropractor.

[Bryan Hildebrand]

exactly mike.
train your upper body, just watch your neck position. avoid heav cleans, hangining cleans, shrugs, head back militaries....
you need a c-spine MRI, EMG of your right arm and a spine surgeon immediantly. the longer you put it off, the more PERMANATE the damage. I lost 90+% of functional pushing ability in my right arm/pec/tricep/ant delt. 4 year later, I am only 80% of my left side. I had a c 5/6/7 discectomy, fixation/graft. PM me your phone number if you want to talk through it and some key phrases to tell your doctor.

[Ninja Loco]

I really think we need to put a stop to these kinds of threads. First of all everyone on here is well meaning but not a doctor, chiropractor, or even a physical therapist that will give the OPs any real significant help.

Once again, well meaning, but not the true and professional help that the OPs need.

[tribal]

how can you tell if you have a nerve impingement? i was in a car accident a few years ago and braced myself against the steering wheel, when i eventually hit a tree i felt no pain at all..the next day i had a bruise a little smaller then a baseball on my upper arm, half on the tricep and half on the bicep...i havent really been able to get the best contraction in those 2 muscles since and i have also lost a tiny bit of strength, but i can def contract them...i have been cracking my back and neck for at least 10 years now and have minor neck pain, and i cant really crack my head to the right all the way, i dont have the total ability to crack my neck in full to the right, but on the left side i go so far as i can almost look down at my ass lol...any poss problems that i could have with these symptoms...even though they dont affect me in my daily life

[darb1]

tribal, my GP diagnosed me with a nerve impingement, and i can contract my right pec and tricep, but not as hard as on the left said and i can not get any blood flow or pump to those muscles and have not strength from those muscles.

[darb1]

Update: I have an appointment scheduled with an orthopedic surgeon (who specializes in shoulder injuries) for August 19, but from what some of the people on this thread recommended, I think I will need to see a neurologist. I have an appointment with my GP for August 12 on an unrelated matter (I think I have a inguinal hernia or a swollen gland in that area) I will ask him to see a neurologist, as time is a factor in my neck/ nerve impingement injury.

[Curt James]

(snip)the longer the nerve is shut down the less of a chance you have to get it back. I am going on 3 months post surgery of the C6-C7 disc fusion. I still have no strength in my left side, the muscles still won't contract. Don't wait, go now.(snip)

Glad that the OP is getting care.

Was Googling some more and saw this following bit.

It's actually from a veterinarian's site, but, again, I'd be attacking this problem from all directions!

Here's the text:

Lameness

Lameness of any extremity can be a result of pressure upon a spinal nerve.

This pressure can be a result of the spinal column being out of alignment.

For example: if you took a garden hose and turned on the water to water your tree but the hose had a kink in it - the water flow will be much less.

In the animal, the decreased water flow is the same as the nerve flow to the muscles of the extremity. The ability to move the extremity is much less!

Chiropractic manipulation (adjustment) removes the "kink" and thus, the nerve flow is restored.

If the garden hose is kinked for a long time, you may see the outer leaves begin to die because the tree is not getting enough water to meet its needs.

In the animal, the muscles may begin to atrophy over a long period of time.
(snip)

It is important to note that muscle atrophy is usually reversible once the nerve flow is restored.

But you must know that the onset of atrophy can be very quick but the recovery of the muscle tone and "thickness" can take some time.

Rehabilitation with specific exercises assists the muscles to develop again.

Incontinence of Bladder or Bowel

If there is a misalignment of the spinal column and the nerves to the bladder or bowel are "pinched" then the function of either the bladder or bowel can be reduced.

Not all situations of incontinence are the result of nerve impingement but it is to the animal's benefit to explore the possibility.

Dr. De Grasse has about a 90% success rate in restoring bladder and bowel function in the paralyzed animal.

Paralysis

Nerve impingement upon the spinal cord or spinal nerves, pathologies such as a tumor and trauma can cause the animal to become paralyzed.

The least invasive approach to restore nerve function is chiropractic care.

Often, medication (an invasive approach) is of great value to reduce the swelling of the disc and/or muscle relaxants to reduce the muscle spasms that can often occur with a nerve impingement or trauma.

Diagnostic tools such as the xray can provide valuable information and the most definitive tool would be the MRI.

However, this diagnostic test is costly(snip)

Most people are not aware of the ability of chiropractic care to relieve nerve impingement of the spinal cord or spinal nerves and thus restore the animal to health.

As of mid-year 2007, Dr. De Grasse has returned over 630 paralyzed animals to mobility.

My chiropractic work on the animal is "cutting edge" and is considered controversial.

/quote

The OP is not incontinent, is not a collie are other animal or pet, however I thought I'd post that text simply to indicate or show that success has been known with regard to the negative effects of nerve impingement.

Wishing the OP a full and speedy recovery.

Here's that URL, fwiw.

http://animal-chiropractic-care.com/Indications.html

[darb1]

Thanks Curt, that article is intersting, I am nervous about the amount of time it has been since the original injury. It has been about a month since I think I originally injured it, and am afraid of waiting any longer. I have an appointment on the 19th but am trying to get in ASAP and get an MRI, EMG.

[Curt James]

Thanks Curt, that article is intersting, I am nervous about the amount of time it has been since the original injury. It has been about a month since I think I originally injured it, and am afraid of waiting any longer. I have an appointment on the 19th but am trying to get in ASAP and get an MRI, EMG.

I think it's outrageous that patients can't get services in a timely manner. Waiting weeks upon weeks is not what I call timely.

And, yeah, I'm overreacting, but I'd almost be tempted to visit a frickin local veterinarian hospital.

:rolleyes:

Best wishes, man.

[darb1]

I agree Curt, I am concerned that this is a serious problem if not treated in a timely manner. I think the problem is that my doctor doesn't know that is is a serious problem until I get an MRI. I will impress upon my GP next wednesday that I want to see a neurologist ASAP.

[hitnbombs28]

As stated before you NEED an MRI. I had a fusion of C 5-6 and 6-7 Jan 30 due to a pinched nerve which caused numbness in my thumb, index and middle fingers as well as loss of muscle control of my tricep and pec on the right side. I've been doing PT since the begining of april. I can't get a good contraction out of my lower pec nor the long head of my tricep. The short head contracts into a rock and i can grab the long head while flexing and manipulate it like jello. Same with the lower pec, the upper portion works but the lower not so much.

Do your homework when choosing your Neurosurgeon. If you have to have a cervical fusion I would suggest that you NOT have bone taken from your hip, but have a bone putty used from a cadaver. I know 3 people to have had bone used from their hip and all have stated that it was by far the worse part of the recovery process, taking months to get back to 100%. I had the cadaver putty and was not limited in any way. My recovery was painless and other than being limited by a neck brace I was able to do anything I wanted without restriction(other than doctors orders of no lifting over 10 lbs and don't look up or down) immediatley after the surgery.
Good luck

[darb1]

Thanks hitnbombs28, I am seeing an orthopedic surgeon next wednesday (the 19th) and will have him do an MRI. My GP also gave me a referal for a neurologist to do an EMG. I am hoping that the damage is not permanent, and that I can get it fixed and get back to where I was before ASAP. How long after the surgery did your doctor give the you go ahead to lift again, how long before you got your strength back (if that has occured yet), if not how long did the doc say your recovery would be?

[abdan265]

I have the exact same issue, I am seeing an orthopedic surgeon on thursday. I'ts been three months and still have no power on my right side, i cant contract my pac, triceps and lats, it feels like i have extra flexibility on my right back because im unable to contract and controll my Lats. Any help or advice please!!!! It's really frustrating!!!