u/Ok-Rutabaga-6295

I am 39 M with an autoimmune disorder who developed issues from working a full-time computer desk job over the last year to the point that I've now had to leave my job entirely. To be honest I did have a single course of stem cells about a year ago, however I was still full-time working my computer job at the time and thus I was not able to adhere to their advice to stop straining the area, so I didn't really get the full effect of the treatment I feel. Now the symptomology has gotten work, but I am now off of work. Is it worth doing it now that I can completely devote myself to recover and anti-inflammatory methods to make the most of it?

I am 39 M with an autoimmune disorder who developed issues from working a full-time computer desk job over the last year to the point that I've now had to leave my job entirely. To be honest I did have a single course of stem cells about a year ago, however I was still full-time working my computer job at the time and thus I was not able to adhere to their advice to stop straining the area, so I didn't really get the full effect of the treatment I feel. Now the symptomology has gotten work, but I am now off of work. Is it worth doing it now that I can completely devote myself to recover and anti-inflammatory methods to make the most of it?

I have moderate kyphosis of the upper back, which is how I think everything with my neck rapidly got much worse because my neck was for a long time experiencing many hours a day of additional load due to my head being so far forward even in a "neutral" position.

My most recent MRIs are:
(December) Cervical - disc bulge and annular fission in C5/C6?
(December) Lumbar - some kinda bulge causing issues down my sciatic I think?
(February?) Left shoulder - minor tear and bursitis

When I sit, I have severe compression on lower left of neck.
This can often progress to cracking in my neck.
This also develops into pain in either my left shoulder or pain in my left scapula.
And then I have severe issues with my whole left arm now. It is just extremely weird and weak and awkward to use, I can tell that whole side of my body is very weird where that whole arm and shoulder is forced inward that that's now the comfortable default position and if I try to force my left arm out where its supposed to be it feels weird in both my shoulder as well as my lower neck.
Often times this compression causes a nerve sensation

All these issues have gotten worse since the MRIs and I had to leave work.
Sleeping is painful, normally for a long time I slept on my right side however doing this hurts my messed up neck and shoulder.
Laying on my back seems better but it can cause pain in the back of my head (at base of skull), horrible pain in the C5/C6 area, pinpoint pain in my left scapula etc.
My appointed doctor based on the MRIs from december has doubled down on there being no possible way he would even slightly consider surgery. And I have been unsuccessful getting the shoulder added to the case so they won't even look at that or treat it, even though it got messed up concurrently with my neck and lumbar.
I REALLY want to do physical therapy but the neck is SO chronically messed up and painful any time I've attempted it it's caused me agony, the last few times I tried it I had to use my sick days on the following day because it hurt so much

Attached is quick pic I took just now of me attempting to sit and work at the computer, it's very weird and awkward and the majority of my pain and stiffness is this thing going all the way down from my neck to my whole weird messed up left arm.

https://preview.redd.it/tug4hhurinzg1.png?width=755&format=png&auto=webp&s=a90fdc938c73605d6c6b8ac526d82bbeec0c3456

Basically: now that I have no more work responsibilities I can focus 100% on trying to heal without needing to use a computer, get in the car and commute etc.
What would maximize my chances of getting better if any such chance exists? I know that because my musculoskeletal situation is so devolved that PT is the only possible way I can strengthen myself up/fix these issues albeit over a long period of time. However these areas are so chronically hurt that even trying to lay down and sleep seems to be aggravating or even reinjuring them. How can I recover enough to exercise my way out of this if I'm not capable of doing the first step and healing the initial messed up muscles and tendons or whatever?

I have moderate kyphosis of the upper back, which is how I think everything with my neck rapidly got much worse because my neck was for a long time experiencing many hours a day of additional load due to my head being so far forward even in a "neutral" position.

My most recent MRIs are:
(December) Cervical - disc bulge and annular fission in C5/C6?
(December) Lumbar - some kinda bulge causing issues down my sciatic I think?
(February?) Left shoulder - minor tear and bursitis

When I sit, I have severe compression on lower left of neck.
This can often progress to cracking in my neck.
This also develops into pain in either my left shoulder or pain in my left scapula.
And then I have severe issues with my whole left arm now. It is just extremely weird and weak and awkward to use, I can tell that whole side of my body is very weird where that whole arm and shoulder is forced inward that that's now the comfortable default position and if I try to force my left arm out where its supposed to be it feels weird in both my shoulder as well as my lower neck.
Often times this compression causes a nerve sensation

All these issues have gotten worse since the MRIs and I had to leave work.
Sleeping is painful, normally for a long time I slept on my right side however doing this hurts my messed up neck and shoulder.
Laying on my back seems better but it can cause pain in the back of my head (at base of skull), horrible pain in the C5/C6 area, pinpoint pain in my left scapula etc.
My appointed doctor based on the MRIs from december has doubled down on there being no possible way he would even slightly consider surgery. And I have been unsuccessful getting the shoulder added to the case so they won't even look at that or treat it, even though it got messed up concurrently with my neck and lumbar.
I REALLY want to do physical therapy but the neck is SO chronically messed up and painful any time I've attempted it it's caused me agony, the last few times I tried it I had to use my sick days on the following day because it hurt so much

Attached is quick pic I took just now of me attempting to sit and work at the computer, it's very weird and awkward and the majority of my pain and stiffness is this thing going all the way down from my neck to my whole weird messed up left arm.

https://preview.redd.it/f03xfxf8inzg1.png?width=755&format=png&auto=webp&s=c33b7c98b53a63d38e1d97068872dae2144c75e4

Basically: now that I have no more work responsibilities I can focus 100% on trying to heal without needing to use a computer, get in the car and commute etc.
What would maximize my chances of getting better if any such chance exists? I know that because my musculoskeletal situation is so devolved that PT is the only possible way I can strengthen myself up/fix these issues albeit over a long period of time. However these areas are so chronically hurt that even trying to lay down and sleep seems to be aggravating or even reinjuring them. How can I recover enough to exercise my way out of this if I'm not capable of doing the first step and healing fully?