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23-year-old female, debilitating neck and arm symptoms -- Please help!
Hello.
I am a 23-year-old female with a 2-year history of debilitating bilateral hand, forearm, and neck/upper back complaints that began at work (administrative position); right side is much worse than left.
My doctor originally diagnosed me with peripheral neuropathy, then cervical radiculopathy. But with the results of the most recent EMG/NCV (diagnostics below), he has withdrawn his diagnoses and has stated that he has no choice but to return me to work and discontinue treatment (I have been unable to work since November '06).
I am severely limited in hand functioning (Functional Capacity Exam confirms this). I know I cannot handle the rigors of work or even returning to school (simply reading and writing is painful and difficult). I'm nearing the point of breakdown. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your time.
Aubergine
---------------------------------------------------------------
Symptoms:
- Burning, cramping, weakness in neck/shoulders with benign overhead or reaching activity (for example, washing my face or blow drying hair); causes me to stop performing the activity
- Sensation of swelling and weakness in all fingers of both hands; worse in the morning, subsides marginally throughout the day; right much worse than left
- Clumsiness and loss of dexterity in right hand
- Near constant pins-and-needles in right forearm (both on the underneath and top surfaces) and palm of hand
- Cramping in forearms with any repeated activity; causes me to stop performing the activity
- Constant stiffness, tightness, burning pain in neck (right much worse than left)
Diagnostics:
October '06 - EMG/NCV showed active and chronic radial neuropathy at or below the elbow; could not rule out C7 radiculopathy.
December '06 - Cervical MRI showed nerve root encroachment at C6, as well as protrusions at C3/C4, C4/C5, C5/C6; loss of cervical lordosis. Forearm MRI was normal with a negative ulnar variance.
March '07 - Functional Capacity Exam showed severe limitations in right hand and moderate to severe limitations in lumbar, thoracic, and cervical spine.
April '07 - MRI (limited study) showed >2.2 mm protrusions at C3/C4, C4/C5, C5/C6, C6/C7.
April '07 - EMG/NCV showed minimal abnormalities including increased insertion irritability at C7/C8, 1+ positive sharp waves at the first dorsal interosseous innervated by the ulnar nerve or C8-T1 on the right side, slight nerve root abnormalities in the neck of mild degree and a very mild abnormality indicating some very minimal denervation identified in muscles innervated by the ulnar nerve on the right side.
April '07 - Blood work by rheumatologist normal; shows no arthritis, lupus, or rheumatoid factor.
Thank you again!!!
I am a 23-year-old female with a 2-year history of debilitating bilateral hand, forearm, and neck/upper back complaints that began at work (administrative position); right side is much worse than left.
My doctor originally diagnosed me with peripheral neuropathy, then cervical radiculopathy. But with the results of the most recent EMG/NCV (diagnostics below), he has withdrawn his diagnoses and has stated that he has no choice but to return me to work and discontinue treatment (I have been unable to work since November '06).
I am severely limited in hand functioning (Functional Capacity Exam confirms this). I know I cannot handle the rigors of work or even returning to school (simply reading and writing is painful and difficult). I'm nearing the point of breakdown. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your time.
Aubergine
---------------------------------------------------------------
Symptoms:
- Burning, cramping, weakness in neck/shoulders with benign overhead or reaching activity (for example, washing my face or blow drying hair); causes me to stop performing the activity
- Sensation of swelling and weakness in all fingers of both hands; worse in the morning, subsides marginally throughout the day; right much worse than left
- Clumsiness and loss of dexterity in right hand
- Near constant pins-and-needles in right forearm (both on the underneath and top surfaces) and palm of hand
- Cramping in forearms with any repeated activity; causes me to stop performing the activity
- Constant stiffness, tightness, burning pain in neck (right much worse than left)
Diagnostics:
October '06 - EMG/NCV showed active and chronic radial neuropathy at or below the elbow; could not rule out C7 radiculopathy.
December '06 - Cervical MRI showed nerve root encroachment at C6, as well as protrusions at C3/C4, C4/C5, C5/C6; loss of cervical lordosis. Forearm MRI was normal with a negative ulnar variance.
March '07 - Functional Capacity Exam showed severe limitations in right hand and moderate to severe limitations in lumbar, thoracic, and cervical spine.
April '07 - MRI (limited study) showed >2.2 mm protrusions at C3/C4, C4/C5, C5/C6, C6/C7.
April '07 - EMG/NCV showed minimal abnormalities including increased insertion irritability at C7/C8, 1+ positive sharp waves at the first dorsal interosseous innervated by the ulnar nerve or C8-T1 on the right side, slight nerve root abnormalities in the neck of mild degree and a very mild abnormality indicating some very minimal denervation identified in muscles innervated by the ulnar nerve on the right side.
April '07 - Blood work by rheumatologist normal; shows no arthritis, lupus, or rheumatoid factor.
Thank you again!!!
Have you tried heavy metal screening or Lyme disease? Just a thought thats worth checking into. I recommend a hair or urine test as with blood, the body can pass it through quickly but the hair will give you a good idea of what is in your tissues. Or at least thats what all my docs tell me.
Best of luck.
Best of luck.
I think you need a new doctor. Clearly, by your test results you have some problems.
I dont have any answers for you, but I wanted to say that I hope you are feeling better than you were when you posted this. I was reading through b/c I am having tingling in my right side. I am 22 years old, female and I feel your pain. It isn't easy to be this young and to have problems such as this. I am also the motherpf a 4 year old girl and it's devastating to have to even think of having problems like this at such and early age. These things can give you such anxiety and depression. I'm trying my best not to lose hope and to look for the positives, but as you know, it's extremely hard. Although I couldn'thelp I wanted to extend these words to you and I will pray for your healing. Don't give up!
With love,
Crystal, from PA
With love,
Crystal, from PA
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