After all that rigamarole to get an MRI of my neck, I'm happy to say they didn't really find anything new. I had already been diagnosed with compressed vertebra almost twenty years ago. Thanks to new and improved imaging over the past two decades, they were able to see my wonky neck in greater detail.
The good news is that much of this is related to being in my late 50s. The joys of aging, y'all. The bad news is that I've got some mild disc herniation/protrusion and osteophytes (bone spurs), plus narrowing in the bony canal of the vertebrae. Undoubtedly there's arthritis at play, too. Any/all of these factors could be the cause of flareups when my nerves are getting pinched, causing muscle spasms, pain, numbness, tingling, etc.
My GP suggested a referral to see an orthopedic/spine specialist in order to establish care and come up with an approach that best addresses my needs at the present, and going forward. With spinal issues on both sides of the family - my maternal grandmother had back surgery in her 60s while my dad had neck surgery in his 40s - it's no wonder I'm dealing with this in my middle years. Instead of sticking my head in the sand now that this most recent flareup is winding down, I've set up an appointment with the orthopedic group to see their doc who handles pain management. The consensus between my GP and the spine specialist, upon reviewing my MRI results, confirmed a conservative approach is all that's warranted right now. Who knows... maybe I can wrangle a bit of PT and some therapeutic massages on the insurance's dime since I've met my deductible. Always look for the silver lining, y'all!
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