Spinal disc issue - any doctors/physios about ?

[PumpkinPie2016]

I'll preface this by saying I am seeking medical advice in real life but it's Sunday evening and so there is no one I can ask.

To cut a very long story short, I have a bulging disc somewhere around C5/C6. This has been going on for a couple of years now. I experience the symptoms you would expect- nerve pain in arms and pins/needles in hand plus neck pain.
On top of this, I have acquired nystagmus- came about when the disc first went. I also experience numbness at the back of my head. This comes and goes. I have mentioned both symptoms to GP/Physio though neither seemed overly concerned.

I am waiting for an MRI scan as the issue has been going on so long.

I saw the physio privately last week (not seen him before but he was excellent).
He gave me one exercise that he wanted me to do, if possible hourly, with the intention that this may slowly start to move the nucleus of the disc back into position.
The exercise is to pull your chin in (imagine to give yourself a double chin) around 15 times.

I have been doing this, however, it is irritating the nerve in my arm (though I did expect that) and more worryingly to me, it causes the numbness at the back of my head to get worse, plus it is sometimes causing numbness/tingling in other areas of the head/face e.g. near my eyebrows. It also seems to cause the nystagmus to be worse and I have been feeling sick/light headed.

I am going to try to ring him tomorrow for advice, but thinking I will stop the exercise for now.
It's probably nothing but I am feeling really worried 😟

Are you sure you have nystagmus and not oscillopsia? Nystagmus is when your eyes are actually moving and it can be seen by another person, oscillopsia is when you can perceive movement - like a vertigo sensation.

If you do have nystagmus, you should see an optometrist as we can often see related optic nerve swelling and refer very urgently.
If it is oscillopsia, I have/had the same issue with the same disc and the one above and it's awful. You do need an MRI.

I'm not a physio - I'm an optometrist - but with mine I'm now careful. Pilates is the one thing which has helped. Anyhting else, I stop as soon as it twinges. Not sitting down too much and being very careful with your glasses. If you have varifocals, make sure you have your computer at the right level or just get a pair of glasses which work at the distance for your screen.