I have a habit of sitting up in bed in the evening watching TV with a pillow propping up my neck before I fall asleep. At times I feel that my neck is very forwardly flexed. Before I decide to “call it a day ” I place my pillow in its natural position and then lie supine on my back, as I find lying in a lateral position on either side is somewhat discomforting to my hip.
When I get up during the night to go to the washroom, I sometimes get a numbness in both of my forearms, a feeling of “pins and needles”, and wonder whether this is the result of a sudden release of the nerve roots. Or maybe I also have symptoms of cervical spinal stenosis. As a footnote: X-rays of my spine at all levels show considerable wedging of the vertebrae, especially in the thoracic region.
For a while I have experienced pain in my left hip with numbness in the buttocks and anterior aspect of the left thigh; symptoms worsen when standing and are relieved by sitting, suggesting a possible diagnosis of possible lumbar spinal stenosis at the level of L3.
Since the innervation of the left hip comes from the L3 nerve root, it is also possible that the pain is referred pain from the L3 nerve root – not unlike pain in the right shoulder from referred pain coming from C3 nerve root – the same nerve which innervates the diaphragm.
[For this scenario, one needs inflammation of the diaphragm from an infected gall bladder; Damage of cardiac muscle T1-2 causing numbness of medial aspect of forearm; careful history of appendicitis will reveal the numbness began in the paraumbilical region (innervation of appendix). The subsequent tenderness and especially rebound tenderness in the right lower quadrant of the abdomen is due to local inflammation of abdominal muscles in that area of the abdomen.]
I greatly appreciate having taken several week-long courses in Orthopaedic Medicine by Stephanie Suders – the private physiotherapist of the famous Sir James Cyriax.
While working as a Medical advisor for the Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba in the 1980’s I was so appalled at the quality of the medical reports we received from the attending physicians of the claimants that the board on my advice sponsored a 3-day weekend workshop outlining the fundamentals of Orthopaedic Medicine, specifically the examination and non-surgical treatment of musculoskeletal problems. Dr. Don Fraser and his physiotherapist presented this course. I used my photographic equipment to record their course material and made a copy for the WCB. I was surprised when a few months later the Board informed me that my services were no longer required {? Nov 1992)/ When I asked the CEO the reason for the firing -his reply was we don’t have to answer that question. I guess I should have taken legal action. in 1968 I experienced similar when I was the medical director of the Winnipeg Clinic Research Institute Laboratory. Again I did not take legal action.
Any victim would gave sought legal action
