Expert: Ronald Levy, M.D. - 3/24/2010

Question
I was diagnosed 3-20-09 with herniated disc in c5-c6  . after physical therapy was not helping. I had a CESI done into the c7-t1 region. new findings is a scar in spinal cord , emg was performed the doc I saw said the ulnar nerve was damaged  at c8 region. why would no one give answer's to why. what could of happened. I was told that I had moved under sedation so he had to stop the procedure, resedate me enough to sedate an elephant then he proceeded as he said I moved the whole procedure.    Thank you for your time...

Answer
Obviously I cannot answer this question definitively but it is possible that the nerve root was injured during the procedure. These usually heal on their own although it could take some time. Have you gone back to the pain specialist who did the procedure to find out what happened?

Ronald Levy, MD
Professor of Anesthesiology
UTMB-Galveston