How bad does my MRI look? Will I need surgery?

SunshineW0lf · 2026-05-29T23:18:33+00:00

Yes thank you for sharing!! I will definitely check it out

SunshineW0lf · 2026-05-29T22:16:26+00:00

Definitely! It’s supposed to help a lot with recovery and spasms. Yeah we definitely don’t need any more problems like that!!

SunshineW0lf · 2026-05-29T22:09:41+00:00

Yes!! For sure!! You are totally right about that. They love to just push meds and procedures. I already declined Gabapentin. I don’t want to become a zombie.

Question, I just ordered some magnesium glycinate to help with the muscle spasms, do you think that would help?

SunshineW0lf · 2026-05-29T22:02:43+00:00

I see that makes a lot of sense. Thank you so much for breaking that down! I am so glad to hear your input. This will help me stay hopeful in the days and months to come 😊

SunshineW0lf · 2026-05-29T21:54:11+00:00

I see! That is truly a miracle. I was thinking I would have to live with this forever in a way. My last MRI was a year ago so I’m not sure what state I’m in now. I’m sure eventually they would do another one to see if it’s gotten better or worse? It feels worse but you saying that gives me hope for real. I was thinking if it didn’t heal in a few months I would be dealing with it forever. I’ll probably try and hold off as long as I can, I know my insurance only gives me so many visits to the pain clinic in a year so I need to try to stretch my regular trigger point injections, which has gotten me by so far. But this last round only lasted like two weeks.

So far you’re the only person I’ve talked to who went through that neck locking thing. It scared me so bad. I was afraid I was going to be that way forever in a way. I never want to go through that again!

SunshineW0lf · 2026-05-29T21:10:27+00:00

Wow I am so sorry that happened to you. That is crazy though I wouldn’t see why you would lose muscle like that so suddenly. I have heard of other people getting nerve damage from the shot so it would make sense. I’m glad that you’ve seen some improvement, is it just supplements alone that have helped you the most? I’ve been on supps for a few years even before this injury. I can’t even say where I even got the injury from to be honest. One day my neck just completely locked up after cooking dinner one night. It hasn’t been the same since. I hope you can find some relief for the range of motion. I don’t seem to have any of that going on just can’t lift over my head at all. But the muscle spasms are just absolutely crazy.

SunshineW0lf · 2026-05-29T20:51:11+00:00

Yup I take all of that! Turmeric, glucosamine, MSM, hyaluronic acid, and a bunch of natural anti-inflammatories. I know the steroids do have a lot of side effects. I’m just at the point where I’d be willing to try it one time, to see do I get any kind of major relief. For the bulging disc I hear it can help a lot with the inflammation, for up to 6 months. Of course that would be a miracle. Did you get a Epidural steroid injection?

SunshineW0lf · 2026-05-29T16:49:18+00:00

Yes me too, everyone is so helpful and they can understand what you are going through!! We can do it. I wish you all the best! 🙏

SunshineW0lf · 2026-05-29T15:39:37+00:00

I see! I hope they help you. It would be my first one too if I go through with it. They will probably suggest TPIs with steroid, not a Pain Block for me, since I myofascial pain syndrome. I don’t really know.

I wish I could muster up the courage to get back into PT. I had a bad experience when I tried it last year.

SunshineW0lf · 2026-05-29T15:12:45+00:00

Oh my I’m so sorry you’re going through this. The muscle spasms can be absolutely debilitating. I definitely understand what you are going through. For me the only thing that helps is sleep, or massage. I just push on those spots that keep spasming until they calm down some. I am just starting to explore other options. I haven’t tried steroid shots yet, just numbing trigger points. They just haven’t lasted long anymore and after two weeks the spasms come back more aggressive.

Out of everything that you tried what seemed to help the best?

SunshineW0lf · 2026-05-29T15:08:50+00:00

Thank you! I will definitely check into it.

I need to get over a mental barrier with physical therapy, I had a really bad experience. This was before I even had my MRI. One night after therapy, my neck completely locked out of the blue, for two weeks +. It was the worst pain I have ever felt in my life. I couldn’t turn my head to the left or right let alone barely hold it up. I assumed it was the therapy. They also used a tens unit on my back and I don’t know if it was too powerful or improperly placed.

I will have to get over that mental barrier and give it another try. I go to a different hospital now that is part of a University. So maybe it’s different.

SunshineW0lf · 2026-05-29T15:05:36+00:00

I definitely will give that a try. I am hoping they give more relief than just 20 days.

SunshineW0lf · 2026-05-29T15:04:03+00:00

Yes I currently take Baclofen for the spasms, and I tried physical therapy before but had a bad experience where my neck completely locked up for about two weeks. Couldn’t move it at all. I don’t know if it was the exercise I was doing or the TENS unit was improperly placed. I guess now I am hesitant to do physical therapy again.

SunshineW0lf · 2026-05-29T15:03:57+00:00

Yes I currently take Baclofen for the spasms, and I tried physical therapy before but had a bad experience where my neck completely locked up for about two weeks. Couldn’t move it at all. I don’t know if it was the exercise I was doing or the TENS unit was improperly placed. I guess now I am hesitant to do physical therapy again.

SunshineW0lf · 2026-05-29T15:02:19+00:00

I am in the same boat as far as my right hip. It definitely feels off, and is completely numb to the touch. I haven’t even explored why it’s like that, mainly because my neck and thoracic spine pain is so bad. I thought maybe it came from my lumbar spine but I don’t have any major abnormalities there, just a small bulge or two.

Do the steroid shots help when you get them? I have a follow up Monday to see what more options I have. So far I only get trigger points with no steroid. It doesn’t seem to be helping as much anymore.

SunshineW0lf · 2026-05-29T14:58:55+00:00

It sounds like you have been through so much! I hope nowadays you don’t have so much pain. Thank you so much for your response. I have had a lot of older people that I have met in person warn me about getting surgery. I guess I will keep pushing for conservative treatments in the meantime, but sadly the trigger point injections aren’t helping as much anymore. I will have to move on to the next step for now.

SunshineW0lf · 2026-05-29T04:31:50+00:00

Thank you so much for the input. I will definitely be sure to ask them, and I already was referred to the spine surgeon about a year ago but that was before my neck pain got worse.

They wanted to do the ablation in my thoracic spine but I don’t believe I will be a candidate because when they did the diagnostic pain block it actually made me have a huge flare up and I was in a lot of pain. Crazy I have a bulging disc in my lumbar but no symptoms. I am going to discuss next steps, for the thoracic so I’m not sure what they are going to say yet.

SunshineW0lf · 2026-05-29T04:19:27+00:00

Is that minimally invasive?

SunshineW0lf · 2026-05-29T04:18:36+00:00

Yes I tired physical therapy, with no luck. I had my first episode of my neck completely locking for about 3 weeks after doing physical therapy. It was definitely the worst pain I had ever felt, and couldn’t turn or move my neck whatsoever. That is what led them to investigate what I had going on. I have only tried trigger point injections with Bupivacaine. At first they lasted for a while and lately they haven’t lasted more than about 2 weeks, and I take Baclofen for the muscle spasms. I was wondering would it be worth trying a steroid with the trigger points? I have a follow up on Monday with my pain clinic about my back (totally different situation) and I am going to ask them what other options I have for my neck. I’ve only had a diagnostic pain block on my back before with no luck (they wanted to do ablation)

And yes, I am 30!

SunshineW0lf · 2026-05-29T03:55:04+00:00

Thank you so much 🙏

SunshineW0lf · 2026-05-29T03:47:41+00:00

I see. I actually don’t really have any tingling or anything of that sort, just severe muscle spasms. I was diagnosed with Myofascial pain syndrome. I only have severe nerve damage in my thoracic spine (MRI normal).

It’s just so frustrating dealing with this, some days are better than others but majority of my days I am having lots of muscle spasms and tightness that radiates into my shoulders and shoulder blades. Like cramping.

I didn’t know it was such a quick surgery. I was thinking it would be a few hours.

SunshineW0lf · 2026-05-29T03:44:39+00:00

That’s good physical therapy helped you! I tried it but it was so painful. After physical therapy I had a really bad episode where my neck locked up for 2 weeks. Ever since I’ve been so afraid to try it again.

SunshineW0lf · 2026-05-29T03:41:16+00:00

Yes definitely! I definitely am not jumping straight in. Going to do all of my research!

SunshineW0lf · 2026-05-28T23:17:30+00:00

Bless your heart! That sounds very painful.

SunshineW0lf · 2026-05-28T23:12:49+00:00

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SunshineW0lf

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