Getting Stabbing Pain On Base Of Neck And Near Shoulder Blade. Could It Be A TIA Or Pinched Nerves?
Also I am a student that spends a lot of time on my laptop
Thank you for posting your query.
There are two possibilities for your symptoms:
1. TIA (transient ischemic attack)- in this condition, the blood supply to a part of brain gets reduced for a while resulting in neurological symptoms, which subside within 24 hours, mostly within an hour.
Smoking and low HDL could be the risk factors for the same.
You should also check serum homocysteine, which could also be a risk factor for the same.
2. Partial seizures- if your symptoms are episodic, lasting for a few seconds to minutes, then this could be a possibility.
Regarding pinched nerves, your symptoms suggest a possibility of the same in the cervical region (neck), but your MRI of neck is normal, so, that has been excluded.
I hope it clarifies. Please get back if you have any further queries.
Best wishes,
Dr Sudhir Kumar MD (Internal Medicine) DM (Neurology) XXXXXXX consultant Neurologist
Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad
Thank you for getting back with more details.
I agree with you that TIA or partial seizure are not likely, if you have these symptoms 24 hours a day and every day (that is, there is no time when you are normal).
However, if you have normal periods (without any symptoms), TIA should be excluded.
MRI of brain is often normal in TIA, and it is diagnosed on the basis of clinical presentation. MR angiography of brain and neck blood vessels may help in diagnosis, as that can show any narrowing of the arteries.
As I said, pinched nerves in the neck is the most likely diagnosis on the basis of your symptoms, and you may repeat MRI cervical spine, if required, for a diagnosis.
Starting physiotherapy (IFT/ultrasound, etc) and neck extension exercises would be useful. Also, drugs such as pregabalin would also be useful.
Anxiety and stress can aggravate your current symptoms.
I would be pleased to answer, should you have any more queries.
Best wishes,
Dr Sudhir Kumar MD (Medicine) DM (Neurology)
My last questions is could tension in the neck, shoulder or back (all on left side) cause symptoms like half my face feel numb burning and feels like pins or needles? could muscle be pressing against my trigeminal nerve on the left side?
Thank you for sharing more details.
Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) or the compression of Trigeminal beve can not occur due to problems in the neck.
TN is due to compression of the nerve inside the brain. Trigeminal nerve arises from brainstem, and the commonest reason for this nerve compression is a blood vessel abutting on the nerve. This can be diagnosed with MR angiogram of the brain.
All your other symptoms (except for numbness, burning and paresthesias over face) can be explained by nerve compression or pinching in the neck.
Best wishes,
Dr Sudhir Kumar MD (Medicine) DM (Neurology) XXXXXXX consultant Neurologist