I’ve been suffering from neck pain for quite a while now. Perhaps coming up to two years? There is no particularly traumatic event that I can think of which definitely caused it. The best I could come up with was when playing badminton and feeling something give in the back of my right shoulder. No immediate pain, more a sensation of “Hmm, I should stop now”.
The pain did come on over the next few days, particularly radiating from a spot at the front-right of my neck, just above the clavicle. Usual R.I.C.E applied, and it got a lot better (I wasn’t thinking of painkillers first thing in the morning) but settled to be an annoying background ache.
Also, at the time, I had major weakness around my right shoulder. To the degree that I couldn’t do a single push-up! This also settled, and I still feel my right shoulder isn’t quite “there” but, again, it is more of a nagging thing.
The nagging is pretty constant. I have full range of motion. So, Judo was fine and I think I graded from blue to 1st Dan with it. If anything, such exercise seems to get everything warm and moving and settles it. There is no movement that would make me go “Argh”, essentially.
I recently came down with a 24 hour stomach bug, and after that the pain was a lot worse again. I decided enough was enough and, as I’d already tried physio as part of the initial pain, got seen by a neck consultant. X-Rays and MRIs ordered.
The MRIs showed I had some slightly herniated cervical discs. The emphasis on slight; the consultant couldn’t be sure they were responsible for the pain, but it’s a good start. The cause? Who knows? The badminton injury? Sleeping awkwardly? Judo? The many hours I sit at a desk tapping away? All of them?
I was booked in for a Dorsal Root Ganglion block. Put simply, this involves injecting a local anesthetic just where the nerve is irritated. That may help bring down the inflammation, perhaps even completely and cure the problem, but results are variable.
So, yay for private medical insurance! It was a day patient job which from arriving and leaving took about 90 minutes. Once the preliminaries of paperwork and vital signs were taken, I walked into the surgical room and lay back, my head tilted slightly.
A cloth was put over my face which I hope wasn’t to imply I’m bad looking, but more to stop me trying to look at what was happening. I’m fine with needles as I donate blood regularly. However, I wasn’t sure why the nurse was gently resting her hand on my left arm. Hey, nurse, it’s just an injection, I can handle it, did I mention I’m a big, tough, Judoka?
Indeed, the needle going in was fine. At this point, the consultant was moving it around and getting the team to take x-ray shots as he did so, so he could see where he was. Fair enough. A little uncomfortable (similar to the feeling of when donating blood, and the tubing is tugging on the site) but remember us Judokas are TOUGH!
Now, how do you think he knew when he was in the right place? Remember I said herniated discs (plural). Each disc typically has its own symptoms when out of whack, but my pain was always pretty localised: Nothing shooting down my arm. Even so, how could he be _sure_ he was about to put the anaesthetic in the right place?
By stimulating the aggravated nerve.
In an instant, I knew why the nurse was reassuring me. It was really painful. I’m normally pretty relaxed, but my whole body tensed. For Judoka readers, think of how you try and bridge slightly to avoid Juji gatame. That was my body going rigid.
But, in a way, the pain itself was reassuring. There was no doubt it was the right nerve. Remember that “front and right” sore spot I mentioned above? That was it. Certainly much sharper than when I pressed on it myself, but you would expect a needle to be slightly more irritating.
This felt like it went on for a while, then suddenly there was a slight gurgling sound, which I presume was the anaesthetic going in. Then job done. I felt a little scared to actually move my head for a while, but there was no other pain other than the dodgy nerve area (Just like always!).
I am now at home and recovering (usual precautions). No obvious side effects so far.
So, how’s the pain? It’s too early to comment. Naturally the nerve is, to be blunt, very pissed off at being poked around, so that will need to settle before the anaesthetic can start to work its magic. Remember, annoyed nerves equals inflammation which just annoys things even more.
Still, at least I get the impression it was the right area (Owww….) so let’s see what happens.
Incidentally, great care at the hospital. If the nurse looking after me had to go somewhere, she told me what she was doing. None of this magically vanishing nurse syndrome I’ve had before under the NHS, I’m glad to say. Excellent.
