[Tes258609 (OP)]

I had an accident in 2005 where I tripped over something and fell into some chairs and tables. I had an initial bump on the head - nothing else really.

In the following weeks my neck started to stiffen and finally was so painful I could barely move it. I started to feel pins and needles in my hand and over the next few months lost the feeling in my arm from the top muscle down.

I was told that I had a whiplash type injury and it would get better in a few months. I had physio for months which didn't really help. I had an MRI which showed that I have lost the curvature in my spine, its now straight.

It is almost 4 years on and I still have muscle spasms in my neck and shoulder. I am in so much pain its unbelievable and to top it off the feeling in my arm still hasn't come back and the pain is unbarable. I regularly have pins and needles and have muscle wastage. My neck/shoulder/arm reacts massively to hot and cold - to be honest it doesn't really like either, the pain just changes, sometimes it feels as though my arm is on fire. It also twitches.

I was given steroid injections across the top of my shoulders which didn't work. I have now been told its 'probably nerve related as my nerves in my neck didn't tell my muscles what to do properly'. I have been given a tens machine and told there is nothing more they can do.

I am at the end of my tether. I have seen so many doctors and none of them can really tell me what is wrong and it seems that they've given up trying.

Please help!

[OldDragon]

This sounds very similar to the problem that I have, but in my case lower down and in the thoracic region of my spine.

That resulted from an accident some 17 years ago. The only thing I have found that helps the inflammation is aspirin. If I can keep the inflammation under control, the pain is manageable. If I can't, it isn't. My doctor has finally diagnosed me as having arachnoiditis, and yes, that is  nerve related. There is a limit to what the doctor's can do where the spinal nerves are concerned. I've found it helpful to sleep on an inclined bed, though, as having the head end of the bed raised 6" higher than the foot of it seems to put me into a gentle traction and thus relieves some of the pressure. Damage to my lower spine has benefitted from that even more.

I suggest that you have a read through Andrew K Fletcher's work on IBT (inclined bed therapy) and see if you think that could help you, too?