Neck injury

Short history. I am convinced this stems back to a car crash I had a year ago when I suffered whiplash. An x-ray was taken but they never examined me and I didn't have an MRI. Took a good month for the pain to subside and I have been getting problems ever since. To me my neck has never felt right since the accident. The pain is always in the same place and can be triggered by silly things like turning my head too quickly or bumping my head on something. As well as the periodic pain I get pins and needles in my hand radiating from the thumb area.

Anyway, my neck went again a week ago and so I went to an osteopath and having seen her a couple of times last week she thinks I need an MRI as she thinks I potentially have disc damage in the region of C3 C4. Apparently my neck should have a nice curve but instead has more a kink and she is unable unable and unwilling to manipulate my neck as it is rock solid there. Although I do have movement of my neck it is painful. I also have some reduced reflexes in my right arm, though she's not sure if that is related.

Now she has said no neck exercises until the hospital assess me but I can't even get into see the Musculoskeletal Team until the end of the month, let alone get a scan. So my question is based on what I've said what general exercise do you think I can do?

No cycling obviously. And nothing where I would pull on my neck muscles. Would gentle jogging be ok or should I stick to walking? Swimming? (crawl not breast stroke). Cross trainer in the gym? I am in a lot of pain at the moment and so I'm not expecting to do big stuff just want to know what I can do to keep myself active without causing further damage to my neck.

Any advice very gratefully received.

It certainly sounds like you need to see a Neurologist and/or have a MRI. Which reflexes in your arm are reduced? My advice would be to avoid any activity where a fall is possible, so no running/cycling but a stationary bike in the gym would be fine.

I think she mentioned 5 & 7. But she said that didn't correspond to my symptoms. I think she also mentioned hyper reflexes in the other arm but maybe I got confused.

Feels like a long wait to see someone considering the pain I'm in and the potential damage to my neck etc. But I guess i'm just being an impatient wuss!

When testing reflexes the main thing is to compare one side with the other. A reduced reflex implies damage at that level, an increased reflex implies damage above that level. So an injury at C5/6 could reduce the biceps jerk, but increase the triceps jerk (C7). Pins and needles in the thumb could be a C7 symptom, but problems at the wrist or elbow can do the same. Neurology is far from simple! Hopefully you will see someone soon - good luck.

It's amazing what a jolt in a crash can do. I had a relatively minor smash recently where some clown ran into my drivers side at about 40mph and destroyed the whole side of the van. I was doing about 10mph and managed to stop completely before he hit me and yet I had shoulder pain and tightness in my neck and traps for about two weeks, and now my right shoulder and that side of the neck is still strange feeling and I get cramps and tightness in the shoulder on long drives or runs. It was about a month ago now and still bugging me. I'm not surprised people get long term issues from things like whiplash if I have this from just a minor hit

Update is that the musculoskeletal team at the hospital think I have permanent damage to my neck. Hypermobility (relative instability)? Something like that. Bummer :boohoo: