Cervical disc bulge touching cord — new dull pain down right arm into ring finger. Should I be concerned?
Hi everyone,
I’m looking for some advice because I’m quite worried.
I had a private MRI scan about 2 years ago due to ongoing neck/back pain and a history of a fall a few years before that. The main findings were in my cervical spine/neck. The report said I had a small disc protrusion/annular fissure at C4–C5 contacting the cord, and a broad-based disc bulge at C5–C6 contacting the entire anterior/front margin of the spinal cord. It also said the spinal cord itself appeared normal, the spinal canal was normal, and the thoracic/lumbar discs appeared normal.
This has basically been left untreated for a long time. I also get a lot of muscular pain and tightness around my neck and shoulders, mainly on the right side. I was previously told that surgery might possibly be an option, by a private surgeon, but until now I’ve never really had symptoms that made me think the disc bulge was affecting a nerve.
However, over the last few days I’ve started getting a dull pain/sensation running down my right arm into my ring finger. It’s not severe and it doesn’t stop me from working or doing normal day-to-day tasks, but it’s worrying me because I’m scared it could be a sign that the disc issue is getting worse or that a nerve is now being irritated.
I’m also confused about what may have triggered it. I’ve previously been told that smoking can make disc problems worse. I recently smoked quite a lot of cannabis, and the next morning I noticed this dull sensation down my arm. I don’t know if that actually caused anything, or whether I may have just slept awkwardly because I was very sleepy and didn’t notice I was in a bad position. It could be a coincidence, but the timing has made me anxious.
It’s been about 5 days now. I can’t say it’s clearly getting worse, but it also hasn’t fully gone away.
I’m in the UK and I’m not sure how much help I’ll get from my GP. Last time I complained about back pain, I felt like I wasn’t really taken seriously, so I ended up paying privately for the MRI. When I showed the findings to my GP, I was basically told I’d need to continue privately because I arranged the scan myself, which was frustrating.
At the moment I’m trying some gentle exercises and hoping it settles, but I don’t want to make anything worse.
Has anyone had similar symptoms with a cervical disc bulge? Does pain going into the ring finger sound like possible nerve irritation? What would you suggest I do next — GP, physio, private specialist, or A&E if symptoms change?
I know Reddit can’t diagnose me, but I’d really appreciate any advice on what route to take and what warning signs I should look out for.
Thanks.