rpowell01

Okay well the VA added Morphine to the soup of meds. So I am now on Morphine SR and Oxycodone and Lyrica and I pay for the Abilify but I changed Medicare to private medicare to get it cheaper. But, I can say whenever they added the morphine I have energy, FINALLY and I am somewhat active now. I still hurt really bad whenever I do things but I can deal with the pain instead of dwelling on it which is a difference. I also have a social life again, well somewhat. What is the VA so reluctant to give Veterans what they need as in pain meds? Yes there are some who doesn't need them and they do give them too much but some of us, who were told by many doctors that I will have to live in pain the rest of my life the VA doesn't seem to be willing to give the proper dosages of pain meds. Yes I know they will only work so long and then quit working. BTW EVERY medication is like this including meds for diabetics. Usually they quit working whenever you get old but some they quit working while ppl are young and thats why they pass away. No medication is full proof but even to this day I feel the VA didn't want me to have any type of life and wanted me to suffer for so long.

My heart is really, really broken right now as I just found out a few minutes ago of her passing. Carlie was a good person towards me and most likely to about 100% of the people she came in contact with on these message boards. There is just not enough words that I can say that will bring her back but I do want to say THANK YOU CARLIE CROFT. You helped me so much in the past 5 years and if it wasn't for you Carlie, and a few others on this message board, I would not be here today because you folks don't know how many times I just wanted to give up and end life. Carlie helped me so much mainly around August 2013 as I was writing up a rebuttal to the proposed rating reductions. She gave me tips on how it should be written up and if it was for her doing that I don't know if I would have won my proposed reduction and awarded TDIU. Carlie you will be missed so much on this message board. Tomorrow is not promised to anybody and in a blink of an eye we can leave this world when its our time. God Bless.....RIP Carlie Croft...

Vync there are no programs for us who has medicare. I researched today and even called CVS and talked with a Pharmacist. I don't understand why these companies think because we have medicare we are good to go. But luckily my mother, a precious woman, Is going to lend me the $376.71 so I can get a one month prescription of Abilify. I will just pay her back on income tax return. I downloaded my VA Records and read over the VA Pharms denial. There was no reason given except her saying this crap: VA POLICY ON NON-FORMULARY DRUGS: 1) According to VA policy, medications prescribed by the VA clinician will be CHOSEN by the VA clinician, using the VA formulary for all prescriptions unless the VA formulary agents are contraindicated due to allergy, drug interaction, previous therapeutic failure, or other valid justification for utilizing N/F agent. 2) If the patient prefers N/F medications despite availability of equivalent formulary alternatives, the VA provider may write a prescription for N/F agent for the patient to fill at his OWN expense at a private pharmacy (per VA policy). So I guess the VA Pharmacist didn't read the policy on medications that must be given for service connected issues? BTW there are NO EQUIVALENT formulary alternatives to Abilify. NONE. Research Abilify and you will see there are no other medication alternatives to it. Here is what I am going to do. If the Abilify works then I am going to file a complaint with Patient Advocates Office to get the VA Pharm to approve this medication. If they still deny me then I am filing TWO complaints with both Congressman here in Florida. If they want to play STUPID and HARD BALL then I say "lets play". How can they deny medications to veterans that already tried things such as: amitriptyline, nortriptyline duloxetine 60mg/day gabapentin 3600mg/day hydrocodone/apap., morphine sr, oxycodone/apap, oxycodone, tramadol & venlafaxine sa 150mg/day and none of them worked? A person can only try so many medications before their body becomes TOXIC. If you don't believe me ask the veterans who are now in the "Six Feet Under Club" and their spouses just testified in the past 2 years on capital hill about the VA and their medication crap. If this medication works I promise I will respond to everybody on here so others can at least try Abilify and hopefully group together to get the VA to get the generic form of Abilify on the VA's Formulary worksheet. But I can promise you I will take this all the way to Capital Hill if I have to because I am sick of the VA just handing out certain mental health medications like its candy. Please, please understand these medications can cause toxicity in our bodies and they can and will send you to the ER. From January - May of this year, 2015, I went to the Emergency Room at least 10 times with rapid heart rates and high blood pressure. In the end it was found that the Amitriptyline was causing severe dehydration and making my Obstructed Sleep Apnea worse. So what does the VA do they give me Ambien that even made my life worse. They hand out Ambien like candy to many veterans. Ambien messed up my sleep big time because it made my OSA severe, so severe I stayed fatigued and tired and I slept and slept and slept. If I am willing to be a guinea pig to see if the Abilify works in place of these opioids please do not hestitate to protest to your VA PCPs or mental health staff on getting them to protest to the VA Pharmacy about getting this on the Formulary list.

Yes the EMGs will do this because the needles and the shocks hitting the nerves. Its normal. On my last EMG I just had this past June I was stuck in bed for about three days because of the EMG. Just be very, very, very careful walking outside because if your like me and lost sensation ant bites are worse than EMGs. The pain will last hours and days after the bite. Funny thing is just August 2014 a Physical Therapist warned me of this and I just didn't take it to heart. She said if I am not careful I could cut my foot without knowing it. Well after about 50 ant bites I don't go in the yard that much with just my crocs on. Be forewarned here and now if you have upper thoracic problems you will feel your heartbeat in your spine on days thats its flared up. Don't panic just put ice on it and go to the ER and get a shot. What happens is you end up with a pinched nerve causing the muscles to tighten up and in turn it causes your upper thoracic to go out of alignment. This puts pressure on that nerve right behind that heart. Believe it or not that nerve can cause your heart to slow down to a critically low pulse rate/BPM. And it can cause your heart to beat sky high up in the 180s. It will feel like a heart attack and the pain is horrific. Just go to the ER and get a muscle relaxer injection because the stuff that is prescribed currently isn't strong enough. Best of Luck.

There injections was just in the buttocks. It was Toradol and some muscle relaxer because something in my spine was causing the increased radiculopathy and muscle spasms. It weird how the back works with all them muscles back there. Before the injections I could NOT bend my head backwards without increased pain in my shoulder and forearm. Now I can bend it backwards but I have the pain. The tingling I speak about is if I am laying in bed on my side and tilt my head backwards boom theres this tingling or a weird feeling in my spine and back of my head and is wraps around my left cheek. As of right now the ringing is only in my left ear. It sounds like an old picture tube (remember them whenever a TV was turned on?)..Its a very, very high pitch ring. My VA DR says its the opioids causing it and he wrote it in a secured message. Well good now I have evidence for a new claim thanks to him for saying that. I take OXycodone for chronic pain due to service connected issues. LOL Yes I could be stinker and file a claim for it but I'm not. I just don't go file claims for anything. Now if it gets worse or I start losing my hearing in that ear you bet I will file a claim. Its scary because I play a piano/pro keyboard, not all the time like I use to, but once in awhile I play it to relax. Since the onset of all these nerve issues I just cannot play anymore. My hands don't move like they use to. Its sad, just sad I am in this condition. Vync to answer your question about a chiropractor in the other post. I cannot go to a CP anymore. My neck is so bad that he actually hurt me worse. I don't have any cartilege left in my neck. You should hear it, I've been told I gross people out whenever I adjust my neck. It sounds like an M60 machine gun. Its bone against bone grinding making the awful noise. I do go for my back once in awhile and its helps my leg and feet and toe pain for about three days. But he doesn't touch my neck I am too scared because I read some awful stories of people with my condition ending up in the ER because a large blood vessel was ruptured in the neck and they died and almost died...

Well it doesn't matter now. My private PCP prescribed it to me but I don't have $300 as part of the share cost with medicare. I cannot believe these companies are allowed to charge this much for medications. Screw that, nothing is worth $300 a month!!!!

I have a copy of the VA Formulary of all their medications. If a medication is not on the list does this mean they won't prescribe it? I've been on Oxycodone 5mg every 6 hours for 2 years now. I feel my body has become tolerant to the medication that its not even helping me anymore so what I have to do is take 2 5mg Oxycodone TWICE a day. I don't go over the 4 unless the pain is above a level of 10 and some of you know what I mean about the pain level being over a 10. On my last refill of Oxycodone my VA PCP changed it from every 6 hours to every 4 hours as needed but left the quantity at 120. He said if I was able to wean down to two a day, which I did for two weeks, he felt he could prescribe for me like this. But that still puts me in a catch 22 because he told me in a Secured Message that on days where my pain levels are high to go ahead and take it every 4 hours. HUH? But I still have to take it every 6 hours in order to stay within the quantity limit for the month. Anyway my question to him was if he could give me a trial run of Tramadol Extended Release which comes in the form of 100mg, 200mg and 300 mg tablets. Its really made for us who has been on Opiates long term because the Tramadol HCL immediate release will not even touch the pain. He comes back and tells me that the Tramadol Extended Release is not in the VA Formulary. So, does this mean they cannot even prescribe it whatsoever? Or does the formulary mean these are the common medications that doesn't need a special approval? Last, many of you who have chronic pain is there anybody that take small doses of Abilify as in 2mg or 5mg for your Chronic Pain? Read this: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3184588/ I gave this to both my VA Mental Health MD who submitted it along with a prescription of it to the VA Pharmacy and the Pharmacist DENIED me this medication. I then submitted this article to my VA PCP through secure messaging and he said he wasn't going to "go over somebody head" but he said he would submit it to my Pain Management Neurologist. I just don't get it, I submitted EVIDENCE, FOUR different case studies that proves Abilify helps people with chronic pain when other meds won't help anymore. We all know that even with these mental health medications they have an end of life period where they will quit working for you. Even over the counter meds like Tylenol. If you take them every day they will eventually quit working. ALL meds are like this to include alcohol. Anyway my question about this is who do I go to about them denying me Abilify as a trial run to file a complaint to at least have it over turned? Patient Advocates Office? I am wanting to come off the Oxycodone as its end of life has now affected me. Yes the VA could increase the dosage to 10mgs or add morphine extended release but they won't now because of the DEA crap that is going on. They are grouping every single veteran who is in fact suffering with chronic pain with those who are abusing it. This pisses me off and I truly believe the VA medical needs to be shut down and we are given a special medicare card so we can see outside doctors. JMHO. I am willing to try anything except entering to any Chronic Pain Rehab Program for 3 weeks. I just cannot do that.

First I want to say ALL HAIL TO ASKNOD!!!! Geeez I thought I had a large file but yours is the King of all CFiles. I'm wondering does the VA hire about 5 raters devoted just for your claims and CFile? Also I thought the ACA aka Obamacare mandates all medical records, paper or whatever other means of record, even the ones that is in the hands of the Federal Government MUST now be digitized? Please quote me if I am wrong but I didn't read any Federal Agency exempt from this law because I read almost all of the ACA some time back. It took me months to read due to that I can't concentrate because of the pain and the meds, but after about three months I read just about all of it and I don't recall any exemptions on this. When is the VA Regional Offices going to get with the game? It would save BILLIONS of dollars to digitize everything but then again when is the VA about saving money, never. Unless its denying claims that are legit and full-proof. If I were you AskNod I would start digitizing all your files. Keep them on a few hard drives and maybe a couple of external hard drives. I just had a TWO hard drives go bad on me and I lost ALL my data. Luckily I keep backups of ALL my VA stuff on multiple hard drives on my computers.

Can anybody point me to the right direction on where I can find information on the Rating of Neuropathy that is caused by Chronic Lumbar Radiculopathy? I am asking this because shouldn't Neuropathy give a higher rating whenever there is chronic radiculopathy noted on an EMG? Understand where I am going with this? Last is there any Federal Code or CFR that says the C&P Examiners and the Raters are exempted from being sued by veterans who say the C&P examiners blatantly lied on the veteran's C&P Exam even when the veteran had a witness in the room taking notes? Just curious because I may go find an attorney. I know a few VA Compensation Attorneys who may want to take this on if the Examiner and Raters are liable. Morgan and Morgan "For the people" I know for a fact is one. They are a large firm based in few states. LOL

Andy you know I now remember that days following this year's EMG I was in severe pain. Yes it felt like fire or a tattoo gun, burning and ice cold feet. The very first time I ever had an EMG was back in 2010 or 2011 on my arms. This was at Bay Pines and they didnt use needles but were ring type stuff they put on each finger. My kids were in the room with me and they loved it and laughed so hard. Every time he shocked me my whole body jumped off the table. I felt the shock down my spinal cord. But it was funny because my kids laughed so hard and loved seeing me go through that shocking type of pain.

Just wanting to know if anybody here that has Cervical DDD and DJD with radiculopathy also have a ringing in either ear with tingling wrapping around from the neck to the cheek? For 3-4 months my left arm and shoulder was in severe pain and after I finally took a trip to my local ER and given a couple of injections I now have this awful ringing in my left ear and tingling that wraps around from my neck to my left cheek. Yes I have Spondylosis which is both DDD and DJD. Just curious how many folks here have this and what do you do to treat it?

I remember the first EMG I had back in 2013 on my legs. Man O' Man that was the worse pain. Then earlier this year I could barely feel the EMG being conducted. Why? Because the VA decided not to touch my back and now I have a lot of loss of sensation and feeling to touch. I don't go outside anymore because ants would bite me and I wouldn't feel it until a minute into the bite. By that time the damage is done and man did the pain kill me afterwards. Its really weird how we as humans can lose sensation and feelings but we can still feel the nerve pain. Its really weird. BTW because of the VAs Neurosurgeon not wanting to touch me I now have POLYNEUROPATHY which basically means my nerve walls are damage now in both my legs, permanently, do to the constant compression at my L5-S1. Folks please take care of yourself and your spine because the worse pain there is, is nerve pain and its not fun.

Okay well I hired somebody to correct everything. Its not the VA didn't have Dr. Bash's evidence as they used it to grant my TDIU around March 2014. So they have both reports. They just didn't use it. Last there is one EMG that was conducted by the VA, evidence in their possession and not once was it listed or even talked about in the SOC. I am going to ask for a hearing with the AOJ before everything goes to the BVA and requesting a new decision with the submitted new evidence which is in fact the EMG, actually now 2 EMG reports and I am asking them to make a decision of P&T. They approved the upper radiculopathy and if they approve the lower radiculopathy this should well over the doubt at hand that I should be P&T. If I get P&T with no future schedules I will drop the bladder and bowel incontinence. Yes these two things could mean extra money but what I am doing is not about the money but about my family. I'm 47 years old and have a spine of a 70 year old. My life is over with so I want to make sure my family is taken care of. Again its not about the $$$ with me. God supplies all my needs.

I swear these raters doesn't have the right glasses or they are picking up other staff's glasses. You know they also use the VA Optometrist and we all know they only have a few pair that are worth wearing so they could be accidentally picking up other folks glasses. To be honest I just cannot wait for the BVA to get a hold of my case because I have this feeling they will slam this RO and the rater for omitting LEGAL and FEDERAL evidence from the record. Good thing, I have a plastic box I keep everything organized and copies on two extra hard drives to. I guess this would be a good time to ask the BVA to combine my current appeals into one since they are related? Example: With above SOC it only has my Right leg radiculopathy which is from a December 2010 claim. I currently have another appeal at the RO waiting and waiting and waiting that has my left leg radiculopathy. Couldn't I ask the BVA to combine both of these appeals into one for them to hear it since they are all related to my spine and they could affect each other on the outcome? Its called Inextricably Intertwined. Here is how the COURT says it "The Court has held that when a determination on one issue could have a significant impact on the outcome of another issue, such issues are considered Inextricably Intertwined and the VA are REQUIRED to decide those issues together. Harris v. Derwinski, 1 Vet. App. 180 (1991). Maybe I need to request to the BVA in my reply to the SOC that I have another appeal currently at the RO that needs to be combined with this one. What do you all think, for those who know about this? This is not a BVA decision but a FEDERAL COURT Decision and the VA MUST comply with it.

As most of you know I have had many, many problems with my spine from C2 all the way down into my S1. Yesterday I received my SOC but also with the SOC was a new decision stating the RO changed my bilateral upper extrmitiy radiculopathy from denied to approved to 10% each. This doesn't move me up the scale any as I am still at 80% and on IU. But of course they still denied the right leg radiculopathy claim from 2011. I kind of find it hilarious reading over the SOC because its really no difference than the denial letter I received back in 2011 except they also decided to add the C&P exams I have AFTER the 2011 claim for right leg radiculopathy was already decided on. What is so hilarious they talk about this exam or that exam or something about me having a heel insert (which was given to me by the Army MD who treated me for over a year) but not once, NOT ONCE, did they even mentions Dr. Bash's NEXUS reports (two of them) that connected everything. They also didn't even mention the 2013 EMG I had that showed bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy. Isn't that hilarious? The VA broke their own policies and rules by omitting the very, very, very, very (must I say more) important 2013 EMG report. Heck its not even mentions whatsoever in the SOC nor even mentioned in the Evidence container they show they used. I am not worried because HOPEFULLY Dr. Bash will fulfill his agreement with me by going to the BVA hearing whenever the time comes and with me SUBMITTING the 2011 EMG report as evidence. Where I use to get upset with the denials I just smile away because I know in the end I will prevail because of both Dr. Bash's Nexus and exam he did (which is another thing they didn't even mention) and the EMG report. I'm just curious how can a C&P examiner make a determination such as my case of my legs without even ordering an EMG. Hilarious!!!!

pwrslm, I have had all the ESIs, facet blocks and many PT sessions and no matter what the pain will always come back within a month after having it. Now I am dealing with a high pitch ringing in my left ear more pain now in my feet and toes. It feels like somebody has a tattoo gun on my feet and toes. I read earlier that people with Cervical Spondylosis can get the ringing in their ears. Also I've been having tingling from my neck wrapping around my left of my neck into my left cheek. Dr. Bash told me a few years ago to keep watch out for the severity as my neck issues are the more worse than anything in my spine and he said that cervical spondylosis can cause lower extremity pain. I can barely walk as if I walk a lot whenever my feet in in severe pain it makes it worse. To be honest I really feel the spine issues are killing me because I cannot be active whatsoever whenever my feet hurt like this. If its not my feet in my left arm, if not my left arm then its my right arm and shoulders. None of the mental health meds are helping me to cope with this because they make my Obstructed Sleep Apnea worse. I asked my mental health about the Abilify but VA Pharmacy denied it even after he submitted the evidence. Neither the Gabapentin 3600mg NOR the Lyrica 300 mg (both per day) does not even help whatsoever with the pain in my feet. Tuesday I go see my private PCP about the OSA and I am going to ask for an XRay and MRI and for use to try the Topamax. The VA tried it on me but my feet was hurting so badly whenever I was coming off the Gabapentin that he stopped it. But now what the heck they are hurting severely as it is so we might as well try it. It will also help me lose much needed weight as compared to the Gabapentin and Lyrica which caused me to gain 20+lbs and I'm stuck at 260 now. I asked my MH Doctor if I should file a complaint with Patient Advocate's Office about the VA Pharmacy Denying me Abilify because I showed them proof and case studies that it helped 4 different types of people with chronic pain. Again read: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3184588/ Maybe PA can get it approved for me just to test it because if it can work and I can come off the Oxycodone I think it would be good for other veterans to try it.

Well today I am fine except the normal leg and feet pain. Is funny how the issues between the shoulder blades can mess with your mind, your heart and your shoulders and arms. That stuff is no fun. I decided to take an aspirin every morning now instead of the Naproxen as Aspirin things the blood. Plus that shot that ER MD gave me did wonders for me. I guess I will have to do that every month. I don't know know the name of that muscle relaxer he gave me but it did its job.

Upright MRIs don't even cost as much as a recumbent MRI? I know at Rose Technologiy in Sarasota, FL a cervical upright MRI is approx $500. I know this because I called ahead to get details..

If you have a strain how long ago did this happen? If its been about I say 5+years since it has happened you are most likely about to develop DJD. It appears you ripped some muscles and there is no cure for this. In the long run it cause the spine joints to deteriorate and progress faster than normal. Did the Xray show any Sponydlosis/Osteoarthritis? How about the MRI?

The VA doesn't have a upright MRI that is why he refused it. If you have insurance or medicare its best to go to a private Doctor to get a prescription. I was going to get one back in 2011 but I had to have emergency gallbladder removal surgery so I had to wait for it to heal but then my insurance which was blue cross blue shield denied it because the prescription was written to far out. By the time I was able to get healed the MD who wrote it retired. Go figure. Since then I have argued with my VA PCP to write me a written prescription but he refuses. He wants to wait a couple more years before doing another MRI. I understand his concern because if you didn't know too many MRIs can actually cause cancer. I had one in 2010, 2012 and 2013 and one in 2014 but the last cervical MRI was in 2013..

Mario if this is the first denial then don't worry because whenever you file for benefits the STATE makes a decision. It happens with what 80% of all SSDI claims. Research in your area for SSDI attorneys.

Well the last time I seen a VA Neurologist was back in 2013 and he was from Pain Management. My VA PCP denied me to send me back to him, give me a new MRI, nothing. Yes he has ordered an Xray because I have to know how severe the Osteoarthritis has gotten, ie, bone spur development. It was only when I fired him is he now listening to me. But on Nov 3 I go see my private PCP and I'm going to ask him to order me an upright MRI on my neck and thoracic spine so we can see the severity of everything and to get a true reading as upright MRI are in fact more accurate because you sit or standing during the MRI and it allows for Gravity compensation while the recumbent (laying down type) doesn't. I've taken Robaxin and have been taking it for awhile now and that stuff does nothing for me. The Flexeril is strong on me but like tonight I didn't take it. Here are my meds: Naproxen, Gabapentin, Methocarbomal (Robaxin)(I quit taking this Saturday afternoon as you cannot take this with Flexeril whatsoever), Cymbalta, levothyroxine, Oxycodone, Flexeril. I now have OSA so I cannot take any sedatives like I was such as Ambien and Xanax anymore as it was making the OSA worse. I'm also waiting to see my private PCP as a following up on Nov 3 about the OSA. If you want to hear another story short, the VA did the same test and said I didn't have OSA but I had all the tale-tale signs of it. So I went outside of the VA to get a 2nd opinion and found out I do have OSA. What I am waiting on now if to hopefully to get approved for low doses of Abilify. I found 4 case studies that showed it actually helps with chronic pain: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3184588/ I found out about after my sister in-law who has fibromyalgia started taking it and it helped her tremendously. If you read the case studies there are 4 different types of pain it was used for. It can't hurt to at least try it, only if my VA MH doctor can get the VA pharmacy to approve it.

Okay this is what has happened so far. The pain subsided a lot even though I still have mild pain in my upper shoulders. What happened to cause it to subside? Well Saturday morning I woke up and I felt great, I was like wow, but at about lunch time my life went into hell big time. My heart rate dropped then I remember to always cough so I coughed, then my heart rate went back up to normal. Guess what It wasn't my heart doing this but a pinched nerve in my upper back causing my heart to freak out. Then after I coughed a huge muscle spasm appeared next to my right shoulder blade and the muscle spasm was so big it reached my spine. Just touching it put me in severe pain that it put a lot of tears in my eyes. So, I did everything taught by the VA Physical Therapists (many of them). I tried heat, ice, then heat again, massage, stretching and even all the meds I could take. Nothing worked. So about 7pm my wife took me to the ER. Luckily the doctor there was an MD not a PA. I live in a small town so our ER doesn't have a trauma dept but just a regular ER. We hear Medivacs all the time flying in over head going to land at our hospital to pick up patients and take them to places like Orlando or Tampa. Anyway the MD felt the muscle spasm and he knew what was going on. He said "Your kinda of young to have problems like this." I said, "Well the green behind my ears have finally fallen off because I just turned 47."..He laughed and he said he knew what to give me. So they gave me a Torodol (spelling) (Its a presciption of high Motrorin injection which is something I could get once a month) and then some kind of injection of a muscle relaxer. WIthin 30 minutes I was ready to go home. Also he gave me a prescription of Flexeril. I quit taking that stuff about a year ago because it was making too drowsy during the day. The first time I ever took that stuff was in the Army after my injury which was 20 years ago. Back then that stuff made me drowsy also. Anyway yesterday (Sunday) my wife picked up the Flexeril and I was out within 30 minutes at 6pm. I wake up today and the muscle spasm has subsided a lot. So, how can muscle spasms cause the radiating pain down my left arm? Its my understanding that muscles spasms in the neck and back cannot cause radiating pain but only a pinch nerve can. Is it possible I bulged a disc just enough to cause both the spasms and radiating pain? OR, could it be possible that the OA changes in my upper back is causing the muscle spasms which in turn is pinching the nerves? Again its my understanding that muscle spasms in and of itself cannot pinch a nerve. My pain levels are back to normal and I will tell you right now that pain was worse than when a PM Doctor gave me facet injections while I had a herniated disc which caused the disc to be pushed back into place. It was not a fun Saturday or Sunday for me.

Yea your right, I am similar to you, DDD and DJD but I had herniated a disc that healed itself but I still have nerve damage and that disc constantly bulges. I had herniated a two disc in my neck back in 2010. Actually I didn't herniate them, they just popped. There are three stages to a herniation and I wasn't at the worse stage where the nucleus came all the way out. In 2010 I had this pain but with tingling and numbness in my hands but this time its just severe pain in my arms, worse than I had in 2010. This time it feels like a mac truck hit me and ran over my arms.

I have a question for people who has Cervical Radiculopathy. For the past few months I have been having severe pain going down the base of my neck into my shoulder into the back of my left arm into my forearm. The pain is a shooting pain, severe pain and burning pain. I also have been having muscle spasms next to my shoulder blade. I notice that whenever I tilt my head backwards I can really feel the shooting pain. For the past week I've been getting the pain in my right arm, not as bad as my left arm, but the symptoms are pretty much the same. Whenever I sit down, it does not matter where I sit, the pain gets worse in my left arm so I have to lay down for a bit before I can get back up. I also been dropping a lot of items I hold in my left hand even though I don't have any tingling in my hands like I did back in 2010 whenever all the DJD changes began. Even whenever I stand it gets worse. I'm thinking gravity is pulling down on my spine causing the pain to get worse. Does it appear I may have herniated a disc or the foramina might have some bone spurs? To be honest the pain was so bad I thought it was my shoulder because I would hear this popping sound but realized that is coming from all the muscle spasms pulling down on my shoulder causing it to pop. Does this make any sense? I go see my private PCP on Nov 3 and I'm going to request a new XRay and MRI on my neck, upper back and shoulder to see what in the world is going on.