After several months of neck/shoulder stiffness and numbness down my arm, physical therapy (which did nothing) my MRI showed I had cerv. radiculopathy. I will see a nuerosurgeon next week, but has anyone had this and will exercising at Cathe level be an option again? I was told no push ups or planks as that will cause more problems to my disc. I was also told to take it easy by my internist until I see the nuerosurg. Do you think a little stepping would be okay this weekend? I have exercised very little in the past 2 months and though aerobics seems to feel fine, weights don't and I have put a hold on any weight lifting. I apparantly will be getting a steroid/cortisone injection. Just wondering if anyone has any experience with this and what the recovery time is. TIA!
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Cervical Radiculopathy
- Thread starter fab40
- Start date
For me the doctor screw up my neck and caused cervical radiculopathy, took them years and years to figure it out, MRI wasn't invented until I was 12, and when that came to our hospital in a semi trailer as it was considered the (portable MRI). They found it immediately. The tech who was actually taking the pictures. Exclaimed "Oh, my god!" And I think called in the whole hospital.
Now I can do push-ups, planks, etc, right along with Cathe, now. The only thing is say I do CoreMax, my hands have to be behind my head for all the ab exercises done on the back. It's just not possible for me, to climb the rope and have my arms out in front, I can do two ore three reps and then my hands have got to support my head.
But if I were you, I wouldn't be doing any of it. Not even step, as that jarring of stepping up and down, can cause a lot of little damage that the doctor will chew you about. If you have to have surgery that first time you step up and down a stair case in physical therapy, you'll think you just jumped off a 10 foot step and onto the ground with the way your neck muscles react.
Running can jar it as well. I don't know how bad yours is. Mine was pretty extreme, but sit down and rest, you'll be in much better shape and won't cause any problems when they look at your neck. As the worse thing you can do right now is aggregate it and make the problem look worse then it already is.
I know it's aggregating, and it's hard to sit there and not workout. But really it's better then aggregating the situation. I'll be praying for you, that it's not too bad, and it's a real easy fix, with out much pain. And you'll be good as new in no time.
Kit
Now I can do push-ups, planks, etc, right along with Cathe, now. The only thing is say I do CoreMax, my hands have to be behind my head for all the ab exercises done on the back. It's just not possible for me, to climb the rope and have my arms out in front, I can do two ore three reps and then my hands have got to support my head.
But if I were you, I wouldn't be doing any of it. Not even step, as that jarring of stepping up and down, can cause a lot of little damage that the doctor will chew you about. If you have to have surgery that first time you step up and down a stair case in physical therapy, you'll think you just jumped off a 10 foot step and onto the ground with the way your neck muscles react.
Running can jar it as well. I don't know how bad yours is. Mine was pretty extreme, but sit down and rest, you'll be in much better shape and won't cause any problems when they look at your neck. As the worse thing you can do right now is aggregate it and make the problem look worse then it already is.
I know it's aggregating, and it's hard to sit there and not workout. But really it's better then aggregating the situation. I'll be praying for you, that it's not too bad, and it's a real easy fix, with out much pain. And you'll be good as new in no time.
Kit
Thanks Kit! I did 40 min. of Step today (I know, I know), but this will be it for awhile anyways. I have had no pain, just stiffnes and my arm falls asleep. I am hoping by Fall I will be good as new. I am (and family) will be moving cross country in a month, so life is busy anyways and I'm sure it will be awhile until I will be able to workout until I get settled. I'm hoping this is easily curable. If he tells me no more high impact, I will cry. I especially miss circuit workouts.:-( I am longing for BC and HSTA. Oh well!
Hi -
I have a disc herniation at C6-7 and was not allowed to lift heavy weights for about 5 years. Now, I'm lifting again, but my doctor prohibits me from doing any overhead movements such as military presses, tricep extensions and any exercises that I bear my body weight (it only flares the spasms in my neck and upper back area). This includes modifying pushups on the wall, no planks and no tricep dips. I'm also not allowed to do roll-outs on the ball. I can't run either. I can, however, do step aerobics, and other aerobics, but I have to modify jumps and some higher impact on my rebounder. All in all, I'm okay with living this way, as it's not as bad as it sounds. I just double up on other exercises when Cathe does things that are forbidden for me. It's best to listen to your body and not exacerbate your condition. I've found this out over and over....the hard way.
I have a disc herniation at C6-7 and was not allowed to lift heavy weights for about 5 years. Now, I'm lifting again, but my doctor prohibits me from doing any overhead movements such as military presses, tricep extensions and any exercises that I bear my body weight (it only flares the spasms in my neck and upper back area). This includes modifying pushups on the wall, no planks and no tricep dips. I'm also not allowed to do roll-outs on the ball. I can't run either. I can, however, do step aerobics, and other aerobics, but I have to modify jumps and some higher impact on my rebounder. All in all, I'm okay with living this way, as it's not as bad as it sounds. I just double up on other exercises when Cathe does things that are forbidden for me. It's best to listen to your body and not exacerbate your condition. I've found this out over and over....the hard way.
fab40,
That moving and packing doesn’t sound any better for you then working out. But let the guys or anyone else lift the heavy stuff. I know, how annoying it is to sit and only watch or carry the light stuff, but it’s a matter of really hurting yourself.
They had to fuse c1-c3 (which is the very top of the neck) with bone and a steal pin (a giant staple looking thing), so I lost 70% of my ability to look left and right. It made learning to parallel park quite challenging as well as trying to switch lanes. I have to rely on my mirrors and know at all times if there is anyone in any of the blind spots. But it has made me a much more cautious driver. Probably a good thing since I grew up around race tracks. And even at a very young age, loved to go over 100 miles an hour.
But one thing good, yours was caught early, so you have a lot better chance of walking away from this with all your abilities. You weren’t trying to be a normal little kid like I was, and not understand why your neck hurt and no one else ever seem like theirs hurt. So of course I’d do more trying to be like everyone else and I caused quite a bit of damage by the time it was figured out.
So really be nice to your neck, even if it means looking like a wimp. It’s good you don’t have pain, but if your hands are going to sleep it’s affecting some of those nerves so you need to be really careful, as if you do damage you may lose feeling anywhere from the neck down, which would be really bad.
lorajc, I know the feeling about learning the hard way. I've done that one too many times and have finally learned the hard way hurts.
Kit
That moving and packing doesn’t sound any better for you then working out. But let the guys or anyone else lift the heavy stuff. I know, how annoying it is to sit and only watch or carry the light stuff, but it’s a matter of really hurting yourself.
They had to fuse c1-c3 (which is the very top of the neck) with bone and a steal pin (a giant staple looking thing), so I lost 70% of my ability to look left and right. It made learning to parallel park quite challenging as well as trying to switch lanes. I have to rely on my mirrors and know at all times if there is anyone in any of the blind spots. But it has made me a much more cautious driver. Probably a good thing since I grew up around race tracks. And even at a very young age, loved to go over 100 miles an hour.
But one thing good, yours was caught early, so you have a lot better chance of walking away from this with all your abilities. You weren’t trying to be a normal little kid like I was, and not understand why your neck hurt and no one else ever seem like theirs hurt. So of course I’d do more trying to be like everyone else and I caused quite a bit of damage by the time it was figured out.
So really be nice to your neck, even if it means looking like a wimp. It’s good you don’t have pain, but if your hands are going to sleep it’s affecting some of those nerves so you need to be really careful, as if you do damage you may lose feeling anywhere from the neck down, which would be really bad.
lorajc, I know the feeling about learning the hard way. I've done that one too many times and have finally learned the hard way hurts.
Kit
Elaine Keller
Cathlete
Do you know what caused the cervical radiculopathy?
I hope you're back to good-as-new soon.
I hope you're back to good-as-new soon.