Hi Michele
I'm in my 50's with history of lumbar spine problems and surgery since 1982.
Cervical problems were diagnosed with me a long time ago (osteophytes, neck arm and shoulder pains and numbness) but nobody seemed concerned about that end of my spine!
Recently, as you can see from my postings, I'm also having gait problems, weak and wobbly legs, and will be having spinal probe in 2 weeks for lumbar problems but so far nobody seems concerned about the upper spine even though my GP has recently drawn their attention to it.
As with you, getting an MRI is difficult.
But get this.....my local hospital arranged an emergency lumbar MRI and forwarded the images on CD to the Hastings hospital but when I had my appointment there on June 26th they'd LOST it!!!
Your experience of pressure in your head interests me. I've had this sensation for a long time. Worst time is waking, I feel like I've got a hangover without the headache and feel "punchdrunk. I get this feeling of tightness and constriction around my head and it's a horribly unsettling symptom.
Is this what you get?
I sympathise with your dilemma about which diagnosis to go with but I suspect as much as your symptoms are problematic it may be in this country that they take the wait and see approach?
But nobody's even said as much to me, just ignored it, making me feel I've got another "psychosomatic problem" !
Wishing you all the best anyhow, sounds like you've had good advice from the doctor in Germany to take the slowly slowly approach.
Lynette
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