Somehow I've managed to trap a nerve in my neck and I'm in agony. 
Lost feeling in my left arm, fingers and the pain is just nasty.
Been to the osteopath twice now and 2nd time he advised me to see and get some medication from my GP: Codine and Diazepam. The pain is not allowing me to sleep at night, has anyone had this before?
Havent slept properly for 6days now, when I do drop off, I wake up screaming in pain. The painkillers wearing out after around 4hrs, leaving me 2hrs of carp.
Its getting me a bit down as it will be my little boys first birthday this Sat and I cant even pick him up or play with him, great start to 2009!
Any advice is most welcome.
Cheers,
D
HAD EXACTLY THE SAME.
Mine basically is linked to a few Spine Diseases that were dormant until I had a car crash which snapped thirteen of my disks ( they were already weak apparantly )
I would advise your doctor that you have seen an osteopath, are in extreme pain, explain the symptons through your arm ( sounds like its pinching in your lower neck ) and ask him/her to refer you to a orthapaedic. Not an Osteopath..... they are just bone breakers !
The doctor SHOULD also if you are getting symptons down your arm advise physio to try to release the nerve, an MRI to see why its pinching, or send you to an orthapaedic who will arrange the other two on your behalf.
Is the loss of feeling also accompanied by sharp sort of pins and needles ( only about 100 times as painful ) and is it effecting just one or two of your fingers. Please advise which ones. ( basically, depending which fingers are getting the numbness, determines almost exactly to where the nerve is pinching.
How did you do it ? Was it a sharp turn or just happened ? Put some warm sort of deep heat gel on the shoulder and neck of the side thats hurting, or possibly heat a towel on a radiator or in the tmble and put that over your shoulders. It will ease it a bit.
You have to get the muscles to relax or the nerve will keep pinching, and because its pinching the muscles contract. Visious circle. Get comfy, put the heat on it, put a film on and relax !
Make sure you lie on your back to sleep and "roll" part of the pillow under your neck to give extra support. Will feel strange for a moment but should get better.
I am full of metal rods in my back, and have cages, plates and false disks in my neck so pinch these bloody nerves all the time. Its not mice, and you don't know neck pain until it happens !
Good luck at the doc's.
Diazepam are highly addictive, so try to get DICLOFENAC instead ! Thats the Muscle relaxant. For pain, he should give you codine ( but it won't work ) tramadol ( which works very well with diclofenac ) or even as high as slow release morphine tablets.
