Palpation of C6 and C7
Discussion
Back in 2012 i was in Afghanistan, when I wasn't working I was in the gym weight training pretty intensely as we weren't being fed well and I felt I was physically shrinking. Anyway, I woke up one morning with an incredibly stiff, painful neck, as if I'd slept in an awkward position. As it turns out, that wasn't the case and pain got worse and lasted around 6 months before almost completely going. I was told I had palpation of C6 and C7. This caused pain in my neck across the left shoulder blade and down my left arm right to my fingertips, it was at times the worst pain I've experienced. It seems the issue was caused by a muscular injury in my back causing swelling and exerting pressure on the nerve.
After nearly 3 years of being free from injury its come back, performing dumbbell bicep curls in the gym I felt something give in my upper back and all that pain came rushing back.
I guess what I'm getting at is that I was never given an adequate explanation of the injury. No real effort was made to identify which muscle in my back was injured. I was just told that it was a combination of muscle swelling and bad posture causing palpation of c6 and c7. Can someone please explain to me what palpation of c6 and c7 is, what mechanism is at work? And perhaps how best to address it?
Thanks
After nearly 3 years of being free from injury its come back, performing dumbbell bicep curls in the gym I felt something give in my upper back and all that pain came rushing back.
I guess what I'm getting at is that I was never given an adequate explanation of the injury. No real effort was made to identify which muscle in my back was injured. I was just told that it was a combination of muscle swelling and bad posture causing palpation of c6 and c7. Can someone please explain to me what palpation of c6 and c7 is, what mechanism is at work? And perhaps how best to address it?
Thanks
Edited by MikeyMike on Monday 7th December 20:07
Disclaimer: not a doctor, nor medically trained. Messed my back up a lot though over the years.
Not sure I understand palpation of C6/C7 as a diagnosis. C6 and C7 as you probably know are two vertebra in your spine. They're quite high (above your shoulder blades) - google images for C6/7 vertebrae and you'll see.
"Palpate" means to touch or feel. So when a physio puts their hands one your spine to try to feel what's going on/out of place, they are palpating the area. Palpation is as I understand a diagnostic technique, not something you have wring with you.
It sounds as if you have swollen or perhaps herniated the disc between C6/7. The discs are fibrous and fluid filled. They can swell (bad) or tear open (worse). Either way usually (a) results in seizure of surrounding muscle tissue to lock the area so as to prevent further movement (and injury) and (b) pressure on nerve roots exiting the spinal cord, giving you referred pain down the route of the nerve. C6/7 being quite high is around the nerves that run down to your hands and wrist, AIUI.
How do you damage the disc? Good question. When I screwed my lumbar spine, it was explained to me as follows: when you bend to lift something, your upper back, mid back, lower back and the backs of your legs are all supposed to stretch in harmony, and thereby share the load as you straighten by shortening in harmony. However, if you have a tight upper back, mid back, hamstrings, etc, the whole structure doesn't stretch consistently - the tight areas stay tight and that means the less tight areas get stretched more. Straighten up, and those overstretched areas are suddenly taking a lot of the load from a position of weakness. Ping. Disc issues.
You say that this happened whilst you were doing weights - sort of consistent with the above. You won't like to hear it, but maybe once you're recovered you should look at doing yoga as well as weights.
The fix? Time. Rest. Painkillers *and* anti inflammatories. A combination of cold packs (to reduce the swelling) and moderate heat (to relax the tight muscle tissue and let you get some movement back into the area - this increases blood flow which helps healing.
Good luck.
Not sure I understand palpation of C6/C7 as a diagnosis. C6 and C7 as you probably know are two vertebra in your spine. They're quite high (above your shoulder blades) - google images for C6/7 vertebrae and you'll see.
"Palpate" means to touch or feel. So when a physio puts their hands one your spine to try to feel what's going on/out of place, they are palpating the area. Palpation is as I understand a diagnostic technique, not something you have wring with you.
It sounds as if you have swollen or perhaps herniated the disc between C6/7. The discs are fibrous and fluid filled. They can swell (bad) or tear open (worse). Either way usually (a) results in seizure of surrounding muscle tissue to lock the area so as to prevent further movement (and injury) and (b) pressure on nerve roots exiting the spinal cord, giving you referred pain down the route of the nerve. C6/7 being quite high is around the nerves that run down to your hands and wrist, AIUI.
How do you damage the disc? Good question. When I screwed my lumbar spine, it was explained to me as follows: when you bend to lift something, your upper back, mid back, lower back and the backs of your legs are all supposed to stretch in harmony, and thereby share the load as you straighten by shortening in harmony. However, if you have a tight upper back, mid back, hamstrings, etc, the whole structure doesn't stretch consistently - the tight areas stay tight and that means the less tight areas get stretched more. Straighten up, and those overstretched areas are suddenly taking a lot of the load from a position of weakness. Ping. Disc issues.
You say that this happened whilst you were doing weights - sort of consistent with the above. You won't like to hear it, but maybe once you're recovered you should look at doing yoga as well as weights.
The fix? Time. Rest. Painkillers *and* anti inflammatories. A combination of cold packs (to reduce the swelling) and moderate heat (to relax the tight muscle tissue and let you get some movement back into the area - this increases blood flow which helps healing.
Good luck.
I think the term palpation is the incorrect part of your diagnosis. If you've been suffering pain on the lateral (outer) aspect of your arm, extending to involve your thumb, index and middle finger, then you could have a C6/C7 (cervical vertebrae) nerve impingement or radiculopathy. Symptoms are caused when there is an effect on the nerves or plexus leaving the cervical spine, innervating the 'dermatomal' areas of the upper limbs. The mechanism for this might be caused by a few different things ie; disc protrusion, inflammation, muscle spasm, spinal stenosis (hopefully PH ortho guru The Doc will be along shortly to clarify my general explanations). See your doctor to get it examined properly - C-spine and peripheral nervous system of the upper arms, and it may lead to some further investigations or management. Physio and anti-inflammatories can help, but take advice on this.
I think you mean a prolapse of the C6-C7 disc. As explained above, C6 and C7 are two of the vertebrae in your neck, the semi-liquid, gel-like disc between the two is the C6-C7 disc. A disc prolapse means that the capsule of the disc has ruptured and the disc material is compressing the nerve root, in this case the C7 nerve root. I think your symptoms do sound like C7 prolapse rather than a pure muscular injury but need a better history plus examination etc. In essence, you should see your GP (routine appointment in the next few days would suffice), take regular painkillers and anti-inflammatories in the meantime. Treatment is usually with physio and education.
I saw a doctor within 48 hours of the re-occurrence of the injury and he performed various simple tests and concluded that it was the same injury rearing its ugly head again. Again though he did specifically refer to it as "palpation of c6 and c7" which is somewhat confusing given my own understanding of the word palpation and what's been said already in this thread. Anyway he gave me some co-codamol, told me to lay off the weights and make an appointment with the physio. I'm just worried that it's gonna be several more months of pain and involuntary arm movements!
Sounds like you've done the right thing and have been referred to physio appropriately 
I hope you recover soon and that it's not as bad as last time.
Regarding palpate/prolapse, it's very easy to mishear words so if you had been thinking that it's called palpation, your doctor could've said prolapse but you would've heard palpate. It's just how the brain works. In the patientism stakes, yours is pretty much small fry though, some of the things patients think they've heard is hilarious. The one who thought they had erotic heart beats was one of the best (it was ectopics) but was beaten by the non-medical temp secretary transcribing that the patient was put on iron trousers (inotropes) in the intensive care unit
I hope you recover soon and that it's not as bad as last time.Regarding palpate/prolapse, it's very easy to mishear words so if you had been thinking that it's called palpation, your doctor could've said prolapse but you would've heard palpate. It's just how the brain works. In the patientism stakes, yours is pretty much small fry though, some of the things patients think they've heard is hilarious. The one who thought they had erotic heart beats was one of the best (it was ectopics) but was beaten by the non-medical temp secretary transcribing that the patient was put on iron trousers (inotropes) in the intensive care unit
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