C6/C7 disc injury - long-term weakness on right side - looking for specialist recommendations on Front Range

So I slipped my C6/C7 disc almost a year ago - had horrible pain/ no sleep/ loss of function/ the whole nine yards for the first 12-16 weeks then started rehabbing as aggressively as I could - saw PT's, dry needlers, chiros, coaches, etc. - got back to the point where I was climbing well again after about 7 or 8 months and training regularly but still have a demonstrable weakness on my right side (mainly pulling/ locking off - example: my left side has always been my weak side and at this point with regular climbing and training I can fairly easily hold a one-arm lock off on a bar with my left arm for 15+ seconds whereas on my right side I can maybe hold for 3 seconds). At this point I know it is not just a matter of doing more pulling exercises - something is just not functioning either in my shoulder or lat or both. And I am getting real tired of people saying well maybe you're just getting old and it's time to slow down.  ANYWAYS I am just looking for recommendations for healers - has anyone had long-term nerve impingement/ muscular deactivation issues that has found successful (and preferably fast) treatment? I have had incredible results with electric dry-needling with past injuries but have so far not had the same results with the folks I've been seeing for this injury (my old dry needler moved). Any similar experience with recommendations for treatment are appreciated. Thanks!

I saw Dr Ewell Nelson in Louisville for a 3rd opinion based upon a strong recommendation from  a friend who had a successful complicated lumbar surgery. I feel that he is very capable, thorough in his analysis and very up to date on the latest research. He might be a good place for you to start.

https://www.mountain.commonspirit.org/provider-search/ewell-nelson-md

I can certainly relate, as I’ve had some similar, but different symptoms. I started having some back pain that radiated around my chest & into my sternum about 4 years ago now. Progressed to weakness on my right side, and eventually numbness & loss of some motor control in my lower extremities. Saw a couple different MD’s, but also tried massage, Chiro, PT, etc. over the years.  I had X-Rays performed, that didn’t show anything out of the ordinary, Dr.’s I saw didn’t seem overly concerned as my X-Ray looked normal & I was “relatively” young & healthy.

When I finally got the MRI done (this past Nov) we discovered that I actually had a nerve sheath tumor (Schwannoma) on my T5 spine that was compressing my spinal cord/canal/nerves and causing me the aforementioned issues.  Not to suggest your dealing with a tumor yourself, as it sounds like you might be aware of your issues already.

All that being said, my advice to you is to get proper imaging done, if you haven’t already. Most everyone I saw was just guessing, until the MRI. I could have saved years of pain & relative inactivity if I would have insisted on getting proper imagery. You really have to advocate for yourself here and be the proverbial squeaky wheel, something I personally had a hard time with.

Best of luck to you & hope you can get sorted out and back to an active & healthy lifestyle.  There are lots of amazing folks working in healthcare and sometimes it’s just a matter of finding the right person, hope you can sooner than later.

Chandler Van Schaack wrote:

So I slipped my C6/C7 disc almost a year ago - had horrible pain/ no sleep/ loss of function/ the whole nine yards for the first 12-16 weeks then started rehabbing as aggressively as I could - saw PT's, dry needlers, chiros, coaches, etc. - got back to the point where I was climbing well again after about 7 or 8 months and training regularly but still have a demonstrable weakness on my right side (mainly pulling/ locking off - example: my left side has always been my weak side and at this point with regular climbing and training I can fairly easily hold a one-arm lock off on a bar with my left arm for 15+ seconds whereas on my right side I can maybe hold for 3 seconds). At this point I know it is not just a matter of doing more pulling exercises - something is just not functioning either in my shoulder or lat or both. And I am getting real tired of people saying well maybe you're just getting old and it's time to slow down.  ANYWAYS I am just looking for recommendations for healers - has anyone had long-term nerve impingement/ muscular deactivation issues that has found successful (and preferably fast) treatment? I have had incredible results with electric dry-needling with past injuries but have so far not had the same results with the folks I've been seeing for this injury (my old dry needler moved). Any similar experience with recommendations for treatment are appreciated. Thanks!

This may not be what you want to hear but a year isn't a long time for a nerve injury. I suffered an injury to my femoral nerve in the beginning of 2020. Initial symptoms sound similar to yours but were in my quadriceps. Nerves heal very slowly and the initial improvement (which I also experienced) is mostly compensation from other muscles. It slows down after that but I'm still seeing some improvement after 4 years. I read a lot of research on this and as long as you don't have an ongoing structural issue causing continued damage to the nerves there isn't much that can be done to speed the process up.

Chandler, sorry to hear this. I have definitely felt your pain. 

Had the exact same injury (C6/7) back in 2005 bouldering at Grandmother (damn bouldering). Really, I think that was just the last straw to be honest. It was probably inevitable at some point due to numerous (chronic) factors I had working against me. 

My injury was originally misdiagnosed; I went to a shoulder surgeon because much of the pain was in the shoulder (radiculopathy). I also had severe arm weakness in my affected side. I distinctly remember being unable to push open heavy doors using my left arm, due to what I'd later learn was nerve root impingement. Another odd symptom (at least at the time) were sore muscles, and at times, nonstop twitching on the affected side. Was originally told I had a brachial plexus strain and prescribed PT. Super annoyed by all the useless strength training exercises... It had only been a few weeks and muscles just don't atrophy that fast. The only real help I got out of the PT was the ultrasound heat and some stretching exercises. Eventually the weakness went away though (as the impinging disc shrunk in size and stopped pressing on the nerve root). But the pain in the neck and some radiculopathy persisted until I re-injured it again in 2009.

This time I was climbing in Linville. I went back to the shoulder surgeon, and after several steroid spinal injections didn't help, I finally got an MRI which showed the herniation. I promptly got a referral to a spinal surgeon and had surgery not long after. I was lucky and didn’t have to have a fusion due to the lateral location of the herniated disc fragments. He just cleaned it all up -- old and new bits of the disc (evidence of the two separate injuries) as well as a lot of bone spurs. 

It's been 14 years since the surgery and it's still pretty manageable. I just have to be more cognizant of body position and the numerous other things that cause irritation to the nerve root. One of the worst things I can do is carry an uncomfortable backpack: I used a small haul bag for many years before the injury, which was likely one of the contributing factors, as was belayer's neck, and hand-drilling too many damn bolts (high) overhead. I also have to use belay glasses these days, and I don’t hand drill unless I absolutely have to (and definitely not from uncomfortable stances). I'd also recommend a good massage therapist who can keep the area limber. Tight muscles are just gonna make every other one tight and eventually the whole shoulder clamps down, causing grief in the vertebral space. An orthopedist climbing buddy of mine used to say the body is just a bunch of sticks and rubber bands...

Sorry I can't really help with specific treatment recommendations beyond what I've tried. But I thought it still might be useful to hear from someone who has basically experienced the same exact injury.

Hopefully in time your strength will return. 

update? 

have u tried decompression? at a chiro or at home over the door style very affordable

also drugs are available to heal nerves get from tele medicine or from india mail order gray market stylw

Update: went to see a cervical spine ortho, scheduled a nerve test for a few weeks from now. Hopefully that will provide some useful info. Been following a pretty rigid training plan for last two months and have seen significant increase in strength on right side; however, still 20-25 lb deficit compared to left in overhead handle pull test. Yes, I have tried decompression - have a neck hammock which I use frequently. Have also been getting regular bodywork and have had a few more dry needling sessions. Issue seems to be persisting but hoping that the nerve test (and possibly MRI depending on result of that) will give a clear path forward.