Wasting triceps & pectoral, loss of strength

[tjb113]

So I had my MRI done and the result was not at all unsurprising. Compared to the MRI from 2016 it definitely was showing a progression in the disc issue and stenosis on the C7 which was described as "mild to moderate" in 2016 but is now marked as "moderate to severe" on the right and "mild to moderate" on the left. There was no stenosis on the left previously. The MRI also showed issues developing at C5-C6 and C3-C4, all on the right side which seems indicative the general cause is likely postural with the C7 issue likely worsened by the previously mentioned fall.

The C6-C7 is likely the root cause of all the issues I'm experiencing from the right shoulder and upper back pain, tricep spasms and weakness and pain or tingling at the elbow that can also radiate down in to the middle finger and inner sides of the adjacent fingers. I've also had back spasms for a long time and I've been told that this is also likely caused by the C6-C7 nerve issue since the latissimus dorsi also heavily relies on innervation from the C7 nerve root. Apparently the focus is often on the tricep because it's usually the more obvious and is more easily tested, but your lats can also suffer from a C7 nerve impingement which I was previously not aware of. A weakened lat can also create a cycle as it will cause someones posture to worsen without knowing it and that shifted posture can, in turn, worsen the impingement that's causing the problem in the first place. Anyway, thought I'd share that information since it was new information for me.

Anyways, I now have an appointment tomorrow with a "specialist", although I'm not thrilled with it. They set it up with a clinic that specializes in "conservative non-surgical care" which I'm not sold on because we did PT and an injection last time and now here I am 3 and a half years later with the same thing, only worse. So many times I've read about people who just went in and got a discectomy to resolve the bulging discs and were better in a short span of time but yet it seems even with my stenosis and bulge considered "severe" and with muscle weakening they still won't even talk about that option. I've heard horror stories of people who had similar issues and the clinics would only do PT who got worse and worse and when the doctors finally decided surgery might be a good idea the degradation was so severe they had to have a more substantial surgery done and some of the impact of the spinal issues were permanent. I'm going to make it clear to them when I talk with them that I don't want anything off the table because I'm sick of dealing with it and so far PT has not worked.

[droopypec]

I wanted to post another follow up. It's been over two years since the onset of my initial symptoms.
I was diagnosed with a syrinx in my neck, and a smaller one in my lower back.

The good:
My body has adapted the best it can to the new circumstances. The soft flabby pectoral and tricep on my right side are better, and flexing them no longer results in immediate cramping. I look and feel more symmetrical and when flexing my right pec it now behaves almost the same as the left. I'm able to do in the neighborhood of 50 pushups and 20 pull-ups, which is almost back to where I was before this all began. I know the problem is still there, but other muscles must be compensating and filling in, because it has improved which was initially diagnosed as impossible.

The bad:
If I push it hard with weights, about 24 hours later I will have an unnatural feeling severe headache which will last a day or two. Bodyweight exercises are fine, but heavy bar weights will set it off.

I think I was born with the syrinxes in my neck and back they've just grown over time. The only other contributing factors may have been several neck whiplash car accidents growing up. (Nothing drastic, just some neck pain for a few days afterwards.) I also have arched my back when bench pressing for many many years when maxing out.

I hope that anyone reading this still suffering does not lose hope. I didn't. I've been doing P90X continuously for the past year and pushed it as hard as I can with bodyweight exercises and calorie counting. It has gotten better for me and I hope it does for you too.