Hand, Arm and Shoulder Pain

[grouchy]

My problem started last June.  I started having a pain in my right arm, nothing too bad but noticable.  I went to my GP and he orderd a nerve conduction study. The study showed that I might have early signs of Carpal Tunnel Syndrom (syndrome).  It was inconclusive as to whether or not I had a pinched nerve in my neck.  My GP said I could wear a cockup brace or have surgery.  I chose the brace.  The pain got worse especially in my shoulder and neck.  I went to a chiropractor.  He checked my neck with xrays and mri and nothing showed as being a problem.  My employer also reconfigured my workstation to make ergonomically correct. My chiro treated me and did some electro therapy (???). By October I was feeling a little better not 100% but better.  I had made an appt with an hand doctor and had xrays done of both by hands for comparison.  I was feeling better when I saw him and the xrays showed nothing so we both decided to take a wait and see approach. A few weeks later I did alot around the house and the pain was back, the area below my thumb and the ball of my hand was swollen.  My arm, shoulder and neck all hurt.  I stared seeing a massage therapist at the recommendation of my chiro. I went back to the hand DR. and he prescribe hand therapy which I have been doing for 3 weeks. The pain is usually about a 6 on a 1-10 scale (advil doesn't help but I keep taking it) After returning to work from a week off the pain got worse every day.  By Friday the pain was at a 8-9 level. I had a massage, which helped. I have been resting and the pain is at a 5. I am so sick of this. Any ideas?

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-CS]

Carpal tunnel syndrome can cause pain that extends up the arm towards the shoulder as it gets worse
I suspect that you use your hands a lot at work? the swelling may be some associated bursitis(swelling of the fluid around the muscle-bone attachments) for the same reason
I cannot tell you for sure as I have not examined you or seen your EMG results
MRI and EMG should be able to exclude a problem in the nerve rots at the neck or in the spinal cord

If the last EMG was last June, it would be worth repeating to see if it is worse, or is serious enough to consider surgery
Good luck!

PW

[sidm]

Have you tried UPPER CERVICAL SPECEFIC CHIROPRACTIC?  Chiropractors who specialise in that area tend to take a different approach and use unique tools.  Your atlas (top bone on the spinal column) is higher up than you'd think.  When mine was put back into place it felt like something moved inside of my skull!  Definetely a strange feeling but not really any more painful than what I already felt.  Other chiropractors could not help me AT ALL and could not find anything wrong.  I had an MRI done as well as numerous other x-rays of my neck.  Did your chiropractor take any x-rays from the front with your mouth open?  That is one of the ones where you can actually see the atlas.  Mine was out by quite a bit (in the x-rays it looked like a half inch but I'm not sure how far in reality).

  I too had symptoms that were varied and would occasionally come and go, and since you said resting helps a little, it sounds like your problem is more related to movement or that it is aggrivated by movement.  I hurt all the time but was definetely worse with movement, standing, or even sitting in a chair (I also worked with a computer).  Proper diet and excercise are also usually beneficial to overall health and wellness.  Pilates workouts have helped immensely with training the muscles in my body to maintain correct posture which relieves quite a bit of pressure on my spine and will help to hold my atlas in place.  Its sometimes hard to believe that such simple things can help such extreme conditions but barring actual injuries (ie. torn or broken parts of the body), diseases, or other noticeable and definite problems, these things can help.  Check it and a UPPER CERVICAL SPECEFIC CHIROPRACTOR out.  I know from experience that its hard to be patient but hang in there.  I'll pray for you.