New developments

Well, the pain is worse and starting to spread down the back of my right arm. I haven't been hungry in a few days, although I managed to eat a few peaches yesterday. No hunger at all today, in spite of having only water and various pills. I think Patrick's going to cram some food down me tonight whether I'm hungry or not...

I could barely do anything today. I tried holding up the flip cover on an outlet for a coworker with my right hand and couldn't do it for more than about five seconds. It hurt too much and my arm gave out. I tried doing some stuff for a while, but I couldn't take the pain and gave it back to him to finish. He was very gracious about helping me, and I'm grateful. I couldn't have done any work at all yesterday or today without him.

Nothing seems to help the pain, so I quit taking the Vicodin for now and am still taking Ibuprofen and muscle relaxers in the hope that they'll at least make my muscles not get tighter.

Driving home yesterday I noticed the pain in my right arm. It would come in waves like my back. Now that arm is tender to the touch but neither swollen nor hot. No discoloration anywhere. I called the doctor again today after it had gotten more painful and ended up writing him a detailed email of my issues. He wrote back with this:

Sounds like a cervical neuropathy, possibly combined w carpal overuse syndrome, thoracic outlet...vascular vs neuro... Will need to see you to sort that out..

Hopefully I can get in tomorrow and get something scanned. I found the information below when I was trying to find out what cervical neuropathy might be, and it's not encouraging. I already have the numbness in hands with reading and arm weakness confirmed by a PT...

What Is Cervical Neuropathy?

The cervical spine is made up of seven vertebrae from the base of the skull through the neck. Eight pairs of nerves travel through bony openings in the cervical spine. When one or more of these nerves get pinched, painful cervical neuropathies can occur.

Symptoms

The most common symptom is pain that radiates from the neck down into the arms. The pain can be dull or sharp, and it can be on one side or both. When the pain is accompanied by numbness, tingling or weakness, it usually means that the nerve compression is more severe.

Diagnosis

A physical exam is the first step in diagnosis. It is important to find out if there is any limitation of motion in the neck or any weakness or decreased sensation in the arms. Plain x-rays are always important to see if there is any disease of the bones of the cervical spine. Finally, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or CAT scans may be required.

Causes

There are a number of possible causes of pressure on a cervical nerve. The cause can be as simple as a muscle spasm or as serious as a tumor. The most common cause of pinched nerves in the neck is degenerative disease of the spine, a form of arthritis that can cause bony protrusions called "spurs" or herniation of the discs that lie between the bones.

Pain relief

The most common pain medicines given for cervical neuropathy are anti-inflammatory medications and antispasmodic medications. These medicines help relieve the tight muscles and inflamed nerves. A cervical collar (neck brace) is helpful to relieve the pressure on the nerves by supporting the neck and head. An injection of steroid medication is sometimes given at the spot where the inflamed nerve exits the bone. Narcotics are rarely given due to the addictive potential.

Surgery

Sometimes simple measures do not work to relieve the pain of cervical neuropathy. At times, it can progress and lead to weakness in the arms. In these cases, surgery might become necessary. A ruptured disc might need to be repaired, or an unstable spinal column might need to be fixed into a firm position.