Bulging disc in Neck

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tnrunningnurse
tnrunningnurse Posts: 549 Member
in Motivation and Support
Just curious to hear from anyone that has had this issue, what treatments and meds did you do, and what worked best?

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  • carlee1212
    carlee1212 Posts: 33 Member
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    Well I didn't have this issue, but I have been a pain management patient for years due to an autoimmune disease. I would suggest getting a prescription for a lidoderm patch. It is a nonaddictive, nonnarcotic patch that releases a lidocain coctail through your skin and into your muscles. It could take the muscular part of the pain away, since all the muscles around the disk are probaby very irritated. Hope this helps! Feel better
  • SherriLibrarian
    SherriLibrarian Posts: 53
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    I had this a year ago. My dr. Sent me to physical therapy. I wish I had gone to a chiropractor instead. The PT had me do some real simple exercises- neck and arm stuff. Basically just giving it time and not doing heavy lifting helped. Also changing habits like not texting or using the iPad with my head looking down for more than a few minutes helped.

    For meds I used ibuprofen or Alleve. The neurologist (who I went to for headches which were related to it) put me on a magnesium supplement because it's a natural muscle relaxer. It's a certain kind of magnesium and it really helped. Let me know if you want the specific kind and dosage info.
  • SkyPixie
    SkyPixie Posts: 224
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    I have two of these but the treatment suggested by my doctor ( I live in the UK) was quite drastic they wanted to remove the discs and replace them with steel bolts .. funny enough I declined that !

    I take ibuprofen and codeine for the pain but I also have to take another tablet to stop my stomach producing acid to protect it from the ibuprofen as I take quite high dose.
    I find sleeping with my arms above my head helps , also if you have a desk job getting a proper chair with neck support helps too.

    I also have wheat filled sack that I heat in the microwave that helps with the pain as a lot of the time the painkillers don't really help they just take the edge off it but heat seems to get inside the pain.

    I'd be interested in the details of the magnesium as they tried to get me to take tranquilizers here to relax the muscles which I wouldn't do as I am terrified of getting addicted to stuff ...
  • tinytubbs
    tinytubbs Posts: 54
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    hydocodones kinda work....for sleep i use cyclobenzaphrine. it doesn't do much for pain but allows me to sleep. I had a surgery for c5-c6 but now i need another for c3-c4 and to replace recalled fusion. i have pain and arm numbness.
  • SkyPixie
    SkyPixie Posts: 224
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    My sympathy for everyone on this post as its horrible pain to deal with and I loose the feeling in my fingers with mine which is really frustrating :grumble:
  • vwdyess
    vwdyess Posts: 12 Member
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    I too, have this issue! I was in so much pain and the only thing I could take for the pain in my arm, hand, and neck was Tramadol for 2 weeks. My Neuro surgeon did steroid injections which helped for a little while. My next step in January is nerve testing and another MRI. I have to find a new Neuro surgeon since mine moved his practice. Not looking forward to starting all over in January, but want to get this issue resolved so I can get back to exercising more regularly. I just walk, and do light cardio. My weight loss has been slow but I am happy that I can at least maintain what I have lost so far. Best of luck! :smile:
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,080 Member
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    Have you tried alternative things like acupuncture and massage? I don't like to take meds for pain, other than NSAIDS. I think narcotic or Benzodiazepene drugs are a slippery slope. With a disc problem in my lower back, both acupuncture and massage work. It's more about the ensuing muscle spasm than the disc, in my case, when it becomes acute. I've been dealing with it for thirty years. Good luck....oh, and heat/cold alternating.
  • vwdyess
    vwdyess Posts: 12 Member
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    I also get adjusted from my chiropractor, and that works for about a week, and use heat and cold sometimes. I was using a TENS machine, but it started increasing the pain so I stopped. I am going to avoid surgery if possible. My issues are with my C 6 and C7 disc.
  • MommaSherryB
    MommaSherryB Posts: 79 Member
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    My sister is in her early 40's and has 2 bulging disks in her neck. She is a hairdresser so has alot of arm movements which agitates it. Finally this year, she has started received nerve block injections every 4 months. This seems to help her quite a bit to manage pain.
    She also does stretches and yoga to take some pressure off of her neck
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
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    My bulging discs are/were in my back (could still be bulgy but since losing 50lb they don't bother me anymore). I got by with weekly chiropractic adjustment, a home TENS unit that I used twice daily, and a prescription for Ultram since my doc wouldn't dispense hydrocodone (I can't take regular NSAID drugs because of an interaction with another med that I need more than I need to be pain free). I had a couple of local cortisone injections that didn't do much, and did have one nerve block injection of cortisone but it affected my mood so profoundly that I refused to have another. Losing weight by far helped the most, but the other interventions made a dramatic difference. Unfortunately I think there is some scar tissue in there since the last 3 toes on my left foot still have little to no feeling despite my back being pain free.
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
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    Chiropractor.

    Decompression table 3x per week for a month as well as ice and Tens after. It worked.
  • JONZ64
    JONZ64 Posts: 1,280 Member
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    The shots didn't work I ended up with a fusion of C5-C7. It stopped me from running for a few years but I was able to use the Eliptical and bike. The upside: No more shooting pain in my arms and numbness went away.
  • rpn2003
    rpn2003 Posts: 13 Member
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    Have had this issue for some time. During the most acute phase recently, physiotherapy helped tremendously. In terms of medications, muscle relaxants (cyclobenzaprine), and high dose Naproxen helped a lot.. Have been prohibited from lifting weights, so have to be content with rigorous walking, mostly on the treadmill. Good luck!! I know what it feels like!!

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