Hey all. I’m having some recent issues with my neck that make my arm fall asleep if I look up or to the right. It’s a c6 c7 vertebrate issue I think. MRI in a couple of weeks. Been to the doctor, the massage therapist, and the chiropractor. Every”fix” makes it worse. After 6 months of it getting worse I’ve decided it’s not going away on it’s own.
Anyway, it’s messing with my shooting. My trigger finger is always asleep. And, if I movejust right, the lightening bolt sensation doesn’t help. Even from the bench it’s hard to lean into the shot.
Anybody else ever have similar issues? Any advice on modifications I can make?
Have you done any traction therapy yet? I almost had surgery for herniated discs in c5-c6-c7 and for about a year it was really rough. I found a chiropractor who was way different than everyone else. He told me no chiropractor should be cracking your neck if you have herniated discs in your cervical spine. It can flare it up worse. His main focus was getting me on traction 2-3x a week, then he would do some light massage and stim to calm down the muscles around it. I actually found him through the 3rd surgeon I talked to, who told me to try him first, before going to surgery. He’s out of San Diego. Happy to share his info if you are anywhere near there or if you want to call him. I did get an epidural on w occasions when it was at its worst, but that is a temporary fix to help knock down the pain. I’d try and find a chiropractor or therapist who has a good traction unit, not the cheap manual ones.
I wouldn’t let anybody pop anything, but I did try the traction machine. I actually have a PT clinic 2 doors down the hallway, so we’ve tried some strengthening exercises, but I think I keep inflaming it. I do not believe in the shots because I think it just lets people hurt things worse without feeling it. I’ll keep trying the PT, and I’ll just modify my shooting for a bit. I hope a few more months and it will relax. The MRI should confirm, but it looks more like bone spurs than a herniated disc.
I really appreciate the input, and I appreciate reading all the varieties of knowledge, and the depth of experience this community shares.
cortisone shot’s have worked well for me, traction therapy has worked too, it all depends on what the MRI results are. When I’ve had issues I make the Dr schedule me for a MRI asap, when it comes to back and neck no messing around with guessing, and simply x-rays don’t tell the story. Once I have a MRI then I figure with a DR. A treatment. As I think people might have done more damage going to a chiropractor thinking they’d be able to fix it… when in fact they can’t see what’s really going on. My back had a compression fracture, and over the years created a bone spur that pinches and creates irritation on the spinal cord. Nothing a chiropractor can fix, not that they’ll tell you that.
But my dad had the neck fusion twice in 20 years lost his ability to shoot prone, so his fix was to go to a ARCA Rail get a real good Tri-pod and start shooting on his butt. Or get a good bipod that has the height you need to shoot off your butt
Thanks everybody. I think a lead sled might help if I can get vertical enough with it. I have a Bog Deathgrip I can use too, shooting from the ground while hunting could also work.
I’ll figure something out, but it sure is frustrating. Hopefully I can get on top of it with a few minor adjustments.