Still in constant pain 4 months after getting hit — is this normal? What's actually helping people?

I could have written this post myself about 18 months ago. Bulging disc in my neck from a rear-end collision and the burning nerve pain lasted WAY longer than anyone warned me about. Four months is honestly not unusual at all with disc involvement — I know that's not what you want to hear but you're not imagining it and you're not being dramatic. The tingling in the arm is the disc pressing on a nerve root. It eventually calmed down for me but it took closer to a year of consistent PT and some targeted injections.

The symptom picture you're describing — bilateral headaches originating at the skull base, referred tingling down the arm, and that burning quality — really does fit a cervical radiculopathy pattern. That's nerve irritation, not just muscle soreness, and it genuinely takes longer to settle than soft tissue alone.

A couple of things I'd push for while you wait for the physiatrist: ask your GP specifically about a referral to a neurologist if the arm tingling is getting worse or more frequent, not just stable. And if you haven't tried a TENS unit for the burning sensation, some people get real relief from those without the cognitive fog of medications. Also cold therapy (not heat) tends to work better for nerve-type burning in my experience. Hang in there — disc injuries from accidents are legitimately serious and your timeline is not unusual.

Stop waiting passively for that physiatrist appointment. Call every week to get on a cancellation list. Meanwhile, call your GP back today and ask for a neurology referral to run parallel. You can see both. The system doesn't advocate for you — you have to push.

One thing worth knowing from a practical standpoint: make sure every single symptom — the headaches, the tingling, the difficulty with stairs, ALL of it — is being documented in your medical records at every appointment. Not just the disc findings. If there's any potential claim involved here, gaps between your reported symptoms and what's actually written down by your providers can cause real problems later. Keep a pain journal too, even just quick daily notes on your phone. Dates, symptom levels, how it affects your activities. It sounds tedious but it matters.

Please be careful about what you tell the at-fault driver's insurance right now. If they're calling you asking how you're feeling or suggesting you settle, do NOT give them a recorded statement about your condition while you're still actively symptomatic and your treatment isn't finished. They love to lock people into settlements before the full extent of the injury is understood. Four months in with unresolved disc issues is way too early to know your endpoint.

Not legal advice, but from what I've seen — documented imaging findings combined with ongoing functional limitations (difficulty with stairs, affecting your work, altered daily activities) is exactly the kind of continuous symptom picture that matters if you eventually pursue a personal injury claim. The length of recovery isn't a weakness; persistent, documented injury from a crash often reflects the actual seriousness of the impact. Worth at least having a free consult with a PI attorney before you talk numbers with any insurer. Most won't charge you unless they recover something.