I have left abdominal pain with tingling and pain in the back and neck. Kindly help.

Question

Hello doctor,

I have been having left abdominal pain with leg and hand tingling, back and neck pain for some time. I did several ultrasound scans, abdominal CT and CT urogram, colonoscopy, urinalysis, stool, and urine MCS, but all came back normal with no significant findings. Though the gastroenterologist said, I have IBS. I had seen a nephrologist and urologist as well.

I did a different test because some two out the ultrasound said I had bilateral kidney hydronephrosis, which was later ruled out by the CT urogram by a nephrologist. The nephrologist checked the spine picture slide on my urogram and discovered I had a straight spine, so he said I should get a muscle relaxant drug. I have the left abdominal, neck, and back pain with the feel to urinate even after urinating. I consulted a chiropractor four days ago and did an x-ray, which he mentioned that I had shifted my waist and spine. I started a session with him on the same day. I want to know if the sessions would solve my urination and left abdominal pain. Lastly, I want to know if such a back problem could cause weight loss, though I modified my diet at first to vegetables, fruits, and drinking lemon water for the past three months due to the wrong diagnosis from the ultrasound thinking I had kidney issues. Could the back issue be the cause of the urination as well? I am so depressed because I have not been able to be rightly diagnosed until now.

I contacted an orthopedic surgeon here, and he suggested to get a whole spine MRI out to rule out cauda equina syndrome, which I did two days ago. He saw them and said he did not see any traces of cauda equina, spine looked normal, and the left abdominal pain could be due to IBS. Please help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I went through your history and the attached x-ray and MRI files (attachment removed to protect patient identity) and observed the following.

There is a mild intervertebral disc bulge at the C4-C5 level, which is causing compression of the thecal sac. This might be a cause of neck pain and tingling numbness in the upper limbs. The rest of the spine appears normal. There is no evidence of cord compression or spinal canal stenosis at any level. Straightening of the spine is commonly caused due to muscle spasms.

Left kidney and bowel pathologies are other common causes of pain in the abdomen's left side, which can be ruled out on ultrasound and CT (computed tomography) scan. However, since CT images are not attached here; therefore, it is difficult for me to comment on an abdominal cause of the left abdominal pain.

Your chest x-ray is normal. Cervical spine x-ray (lateral view) shows mild irregularity and sclerosis of upper margins of C5-C6 vertebral bodies suggestive of early spondylotic changes. This can cause neck pain, tingling, and numbness.

I hope this helps.

I have left abdominal pain with tingling and pain in the back and neck. Kindly help.

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