Scalene Muscles

My neck has been bothering me a lot lately, and that's annoying.  It bothers me from time to time, but of late it's doing two things.  First, it feels like it and my head aren't properly positioned on top of my shoulders.   And second, there's this paresthesia thing happening down my left arm that isn't to my liking. 

On the first front, it's not fun having your head feel like it's not sitting in the right spot on top of your shoulders.  But as in all things spine-related, pain or discomfort in one area or direction can cause you to favor or avoid that thing that's causing pain.   And sometimes, that makes the situation worse, not better.

I don't know if I'm making things worse.  What I do know is that since the beginning of the year I've been getting little pins and needles tingling in random spurts down my left arm.   It was rare initially, but it's much more common now.  I've been trying to determine if there is something I'm doing or not doing that's causing the issue.  When it happens I try and change positions or do something different.  No matter what I've done, I haven't been able to isolate any behaviors or actions that cause or remedy the problem.  That is, until today.

I've been worried about my spine lately as a result of this recent symptom.  I know I'm going to have to have another fusion.  The first one was almost ten years ago, so the next one is likely to be sooner that later.  This paresthesia was the first worrisome sign I've gotten that something may be wrong that, if not corrected, could cause damage.   I don't mess around with nerve damage.

My chiropractors had given me suggestions to try and I'd come up with things too.  We know I have an issue with the C4-C5 vertebra junction.  I know it's working towards fusion on its own, but I don't want to be in pain as it does so.  Today, he tried something new.  He had me look a certain way while he pressed on some muscles in my neck and asked, "does that make it worse?"  

"YES!"  It didn't make it painful, it just accentuated the paresthesia.   So now I have a glimmer of hope.  The scalene muscles of the neck are inflamed and tight.  He gave me exercises.  I'm probably holding my neck in such a way to help, only I'm causing more problems.  

Does this mean I can fix it on my own?  I don't know.  Does it mean it's not internal to the vertebra?  We don't know that either.  But I have something to work on. 

The Big Boy Update:  My son likes to watch a new television show about animals called, "Wild Kratts" after the two Kratt brothers.  He has learned a lot about animals and it has factored into his imagination time.  He thinks two pair of my sneakers, placed on his hands and feet, make him a rhinoceros.  He's still working on saying the name of the show though, he persists in calling it, "Rial Kratts".

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  My daughter has a boyfriend.  They are enamored with each other.  They spend all day together.  I was substituting today and his older sister was in the class I was working with.  She told me her dad asked Jacob if he loved my daughter.  She said he turned away and grinned shyly. 

Fitness Update:  Monday in the gym after a day of rest on Sunday.  We did group workouts towards the end with five of us powering through minute-long sets of something painful, difficult, exhausting or uncomfortable.