I’ve just had this, with left arm pain and tingling/numbness in fingers. I’ve been through a medi-go-round involving at least 5 doctors, 4 physios, 3 ambulance paramedics, 2 A&E triage nurses, and 1 osteopath. No partridges, at last count. The first doctor didn’t even examine me, just said my symptoms indicated damage at C7, and that I would need an operation and should give up riding. Fortunately, none of the other medical people involved have been that extreme, and I’m back on board, although cautiously. The pain (after a while on a lovely cocktail of naproxen, paracetamol, tramadol, diazepam, pregabalin, an olive, and vodka (just kidding about the latter 2)), is now mostly gone, but a bit of numbness and tingling remain in the index finger and occasionally the middle finger. I’ve been told, again by everyone, that it’s likely to take a while for that to leave, but I’m still freaked out, because I’m an organist/harpsichordist.
The first, panic-doctor, was also the last to see me (he was still making panic at that point), but at least his panicky state caused him to refer me for an “urgent” MRI. I’ve just had the blood test done for that, and am now patiently waiting…cobgoblin, should I be worried, as a professional musician, at any delay: is this likely to make things worse? Or is the quick improvement so far a sign that I might hope for it to continue?
Meanwhile, the osteopath was the most useful, as far as I can tell. He’s discharged me after 2 visits. He thinks the remaining problems are muscular.